Eclipsed Paradise
by Wings Made of Procrastination
Summary: Piper Moon, an ambitious young trainer, leaves her hometown against her will in search of summer paradise. But not everything in Alola is as it seems—certainly not the strange boy from ultra space, or her best friend Sol's shady new job at the Aether Foundation...
1. Chapter 1

**A (brief?) author's note...**

 **Hi there! I'm Wings, and this story is the result of months of editing and reworking an old, old fanfiction. No knowledge of the previous story is needed to enjoy the new one, since they're _very_ different in terms of plot. _Eclipsed Paradise_ will update biweekly, and you can find more information on my bio :)**

 **Without further ado...**

* * *

Lush green grass and somber stone totems flanked the winding path, which was embedded with wooden steps to make the journey to the ruins less arduous. Still, Piper found it hard to believe that the island kahuna would be waiting for her at the summit. In the pictures she'd seen, he was a pot-bellied old man, and she doubted that someone as old as him would be willing to hike Mahalo trail.

"Come on, Whimsy." Piper nudged her cottonee and began climb the steps with a steely determination. Though her scarce knowledge of Alola escaped her, she trusted the professor's judgement: he had told her that occasionally, the island kahuna would walk to the ruins to pray.

But instead of Kahuna Hala, the man she sought for guidance, Piper saw a young blond girl shivering in the wind, as if she were going to topple over like a pile of withering flowers.

 _Definitely not a fat old man._

Without warning, the blonde girl stumbled and her moss green eyes met Piper's own.

"H-help," the stranger stammered, tightening her grip on her pokéball shaped bag. "Save Nebby!"

"Nebby?"

The girl pointed to a wooden bridge swaying precariously above a river carved into the depths of a ravine. In the center of that bridge, a cloud-shaped pokémon—supposedly hers—huddled close to the ground, shielding itself from a trio of spearow.

"I'm not a trainer," the blonde girl explained hurriedly, her pale sundress billowing in the wind. "I can't…I can't battle, but I can heal your pokémon for you, so…" Her hands rummaged through her bag for a potion, but Piper shook her head.

"Save those for later. I'll be right back."

 _I shouldn't be doing this._ A dulling numbness had settled in her brain, undoubtedly a symptom of jetlag. Her first day, and she had already run into trouble. But a part of Piper jumped at the opportunity to take on a new opponent—and crush them to a pulp.

"Ready, Whimsy?" Piper glanced at her cottonee for some assurance. The cotton puff pokémon nodded as best she could—for someone whose face was practically her entire body—and swooped over the bridge with a fierce glare of determination in her eyes.

Only one spearow was quick to notice the newcomer, the others pecking away at "Nebby." It screeched irritably, rushing towards Whimsy with extended talons. Reflexively, Whimsy shot a cloud of yellow dust onto the spearow's wings and watched it twitch in the air, before falling to the ground in a limp pile of feathers. Piper felt a sense of pride in knowing her cottonee could think for herself while also taking orders. It made battling a great deal easier.

The second spearow was a flurry of wings and talons, slicing through the air until it struck Whimsy's cushioned body. Blood dripped from white cotton, but the grass type attempted a draining attack on the bird pokémon nonetheless.

In the midst of the battle, Piper saw an opening. She dashed towards Nebby, a galaxy-hued blob with slightly smaller blobs for arms. It trembled gently with the bridge, like jelly on a moving plate.

Piper struggled to scoop the foreign pokémon into her arms. By then, the spearow had become uninterested in Whimsy, choosing Piper as their next target. She felt a sharp, burrowing pain as they pecked at her leg, letting out frustrated caws when the girl didn't budge. Piper could feel tears pricking at her eyes, more out of pain than fear, but she huddled over Nebby like a sturdy shield, refusing to give in.

"Whimsy, use razor leaf!" A gust of wind grazed Piper's back as she heard the sound of sliced air, but the pains in her leg hardly stopped. _If only I had a pokémon that wasn't a grass type…_ Curling her fists tighter, Piper glanced down at the squishy blob beneath her.

 _But… maybe I do._

"Listen, little guy, do you know any moves?"

Nebby spun, a soft glow radiating from its core. The energy pulsed, brightening then fading, intermittent. The blue light enveloped both it and Piper until finally, in one final burst, the energy threw back the spearow, smashed the planks of the bridge, and the pair plummeted toward the rushing waters below. Piper closed her eyes, and clutched Nebby tighter. But gradually, she opened her eyes as she realized they were no longer falling.

They were soaring. Something majestic, something magnificent swooped in from the skies, plucked them from the air and set them beside the blonde girl with agile ease.

The beast's body was ebony-hued, and a pair of shell-like wings bore a geometric, golden and white pattern. Its movements hummed with electricity, and with one regal cry, it sprung into the air and towards the sun, disappearing like a flash of lightning.

Piper tried to say thanks, but the words barely left her mouth. Her head spinning, she handed Nebby back to the blonde girl, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Whimsy floated over from the ravine, shaking droplets of blood from her stained fluff.

"You tried using your power again, didn't you?" The blonde girl rushed to embrace her pokémon, squeezing it close to her rail-thin body. "You remember what happened last time you used your powers. You couldn't move for ages after that. I don't want to see you like that again…" A thin gloss shone on her vivid green eyes.

"I'm so sorry." Piper blurted out the words, searching for better ones to comfort the stranger. "I-I asked Nebby if it knew any moves, and then the bridge exploded—"

"It's not your fault." The girl sniffled as she wiped a tear from her pale cheek. "Gosh, I'm so sorry…you were both only trying to help. And I can hardly do anything in return…"

Unfortunately, the girl was probably right. She came off as a rookie trainer—but then again, Piper had seen ten-year olds more experienced than her. The only thing that set the stranger apart was her incredibly strong, uncontrollable little Nebby.

 _No, that couldn't be true._ Even if the girl wasn't particularly strong, hopefully she was smart—and in this foreign land, Piper was willing to bet this stranger knew more about the native pokémon and people than she did.

"What's your name?" she asked, to distract the blonde girl from crying.

"Me? Oh—I'm Lillie. I-It's nice to meet you…"

"Piper." Piper's head spun, whirling with a storm of thoughts. In her short three years of training, she had never experienced anything like today. "Do you know anything about the pokémon that saved us?"

"Every islander knows…the island deity who protects us on Melemele is named Tapu Koko." Lillie pointed to a patch of grass where the beast previously landed, her tears now dry. "See that there?" She plucked a glittering, raw stone from the grass, rolling it over in her hand. "The deity must have left this behind for you. You should take it... um, if you want."

Piper accepted the stone, which was surprisingly heavy for something barely the size of her palm. Whimsy floated over her shoulder to get a better look. "What do I do with it?"

"To be honest with you, I'm not quite sure. But the kahuna knows about all sorts of things related to the island deity." The blonde girl smiled shyly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I-I could introduce you to him, if you'd like. Oh! But only on one condition!" Lillie's eyes widened suddenly, an absent sense of worry swimming in them.

"What?"

"Y-You can't tell _anyone_ about Nebby!"

"Okay…" The pokémon in question slept serenely in Lillie's arms, rising and falling in between breaths. Piper had never seen anything like it in Unova, so she had assumed it was just a regular pokémon. But taking a second glance, Nebby seemed rarer than before. Where had Lillie caught it?

"Please! If anyone finds out I have Nebby, they might take it away!"

"Okay." Piper nodded her head firmly. The worry dissipated from Lillie's face, gradually morphing into relief. "I won't tell anyone—promise."

Lillie clutched Nebby tighter, holding it close to her stomach. "Then—let's go see the kahuna!"

* * *

For whatever reason, Lillie treated Nebby as a matter of utmost secrecy—when Piper asked questions about it, Lillie didn't seem to want to give answers. Piper understood, in a way, she knew she wouldn't want to expose her own secrets so suddenly to a stranger. So after a couple attempts at using the foreign pokémon as a conversation starter, Piper stuck to admiring the scenery.

The path back to Iki Town twisted and curved, sometimes diverging so one path would stray to the densely wooded forest. Wild pokémon scampered in the grass, although Piper could only name a few of them. Yungoos, which burrowed under bushes in search of berries. Pikipek, which rested in the trees, building their nests.

"What's that?" Piper pointed to a pokémon she'd once seen in the classroom, but forgot immediately as soon as she had left school.

"That's a grubbin," Lillie explained. "They're common to Alola, much like how caterpie are common to Kanto. Well, I suppose we have caterpie too, so that wasn't much of a comparison."

"No, I understand!" Piper's spirits lifted as she found a topic Lillie could speak freely on. "Back home, I think the most common bug pokémon is probably sewaddle or venipede."

"So you're from Unova? It would explain a lot." Piper tilted her head in confusion, until Lillie gestured at her clothes.

Piper still had on her heavy, thick sweatshirt bearing a zebstrika silhouette (now torn from the spearow's curved talons). Her black leggings nearly suffocated her legs in the heat. Her long socks peeked just above her sneakers, drenched in sweat.

"I guess I forgot to dress for the weather," Piper admitted. Lillie giggled (though not unkindly), covering her mouth with one delicate hand as the other held sleeping Nebby.

"If you need new clothes, the professor and I would be willing to lend a hand," Lillie offered.

"You know the professor?" Both Piper and Whimsy turned to Lillie, raising one eyebrow.

"Why, yes—come to think of it, he told me we'd be getting new neighbors from a different region. I suppose he meant you."

"Speaking of…" Piper nodded to the bottom of the trail, where a certain professor waited. She cringed inwardly: Professor Kukui hadn't once worn safe lab attire since the day she met him (though to be fair, she had only briefly met with him yesterday). Sure, a baseball cap sporting a cheerful little rainbow kept his slicked back hair out the way, but the professor didn't seem to own shirts. Only a tattered lab coat covered his torso, worn from plenty of battles.

"Pipes! You already met Lillie, huh? She's my assistant, yeah!" The professor waved, beckoning for them to approach raised wooden battlefield he sat atop.

"Professor!" Piper rushed to greet him, Whimsy hovering by her side. Although she had only known the professor a short while, Piper felt like they had been friends for a couple months. Perhaps it was the way he treated her and her mother with utmost kindness, insisting to take care of renewing Piper's training license as soon as they had landed on the island. Or maybe it was the warmth Professor Kukui seemed to radiate through his blinding smile and cheerful demeanor. Whatever it was, Piper was glad they were off to a good start considering she would be his assistant for the next couple of months.

"Your first day, and you're already running into trouble?" Kukui let out an exhausted sigh through his smile.

"Gee, how could you tell?"

Suddenly, a flash of worry passed over the professor's eyes as he turned to Lillie. "Lillie, I thought you were with the kahuna! What happened?"

"The kahuna? Um…he said he had something to attend to and left town, so Nebby and I went for a quick walk…" Lillie shuffled her feet, rapidly gaining interest in the ground.

"Lil, did you try to go to the ruins?" Lillie met Kukui's inquiry with an abashed nod. "You _know_ it's dangerous to go alone without a pokémon that can fight. Nebby's no replacement for a proper starter."

"That's right!" A broad, deep voice boomed as Lillie shook her head, causing Whimsy to jolt in the air. "My boy'll tell you, nothing like a pokémon raised in Iki Town to start your journey off right!"

"Hala…" A look of misery contorted Lillie's face. "I can't go on a journey like this…" Politeness took over Lillie's dread, her expression reverting back to a sweet, calming smile. "Piper! This is Kahuna Hala. He's the kahuna of Melemele Island, and Kukui's old teacher. Kahuna Hala, this is Piper. She's from Unova!"

"So I've heard." The kahuna gripped Piper's hand in a firm, strong handshake. It wasn't an uncomfortably overpowering handshake, but rather a welcoming one, like a warm hug. "You're a fine trainer, hm?"

"I like to think so." Whimsy nodded by Piper's side, puffing out her cotton fluff body. "I've been training with Whimsy for three years now."

"You should battle my grandson." Hala rubbed his white, short beard thoughtfully. "He's about your age…but he hasn't trained nearly as long. A battle could be a good learning experience for him, though."

"We can arrange that," Kukui promised. "But hey, Pipes had something to tell us about her day! What happened with you and Lillie at the ruins?"

"Oh Arceus, I don't even know where to begin—so like, I was looking for the island kahuna, _because you told me he would be at the ruins, which he was not,_ but instead, I found Lillie!"

"Well, _Nebby_ and I were also looking for the ruins, when it got attacked by some spearow on the plank bridge." Lillie joined in on the storytelling with equal verve, her emerald eyes shining bright. "Piper here helped protect it! But the bridge collapsed, and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine… and that was when Tapu Koko swooped in to save them!" Shyly, she clasped her hands in front of her, as though recalling the story expended too much of her courage.

"That's how we got saved by a _god!_ " Piper exclaimed. Kukui arched a brow, doubting. The kahuna however, folded his burly arms and nodded.

"Although it is said to protect us, our guardian deity is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you." Hala's formidable grey eyes locked with Piper's, as though he hoped to see some deeper part of her soul. "That rock in your palm—may I?" Piper handed him the ore from the ruins, apparently dropped by Tapu Koko.

Professor Kukui shook his head in awe. "You two are lucky the island deity showed up!"

"Well, the bridge didn't fare as well as we did…" she mumbled, clutching her duffel bag tighter.

"Ah, Mahalo Bridge?" Hala scrutinized the stone in his hand as he talked, deep in thought. "I'm sure we can fix it in a couple months' time. In the meantime, you two probably won't visit Iki Town—not with this trainer's passport!" Swiftly, the kahuna slipped the stone into his pocket, swapping it out for a small booklet stamped with traditional Alolan designs. "It is Kukui's wish that you children travel all of Alola. We figured this would come in handy."

Piper flipped through the multitudes of empty pages in her new passport. It seemed odd to her, that Kukui would present her with a passport so soon. She hadn't even settled in to her home just yet! "Are you sure I should be travelling anywhere when I've barely stayed a day in Alola?"

"Trust me Piper, this little town is only the start of your adventures."

"You'd better let the girl rest. We have a big day planned tomorrow," the kahuna reminded him.

"We do?" Lillie glanced at the stout old man, then back to the professor.

"Yeah, of course we do!" Kukui gave her a huge thumbs-up, prompting an eyeroll from both Piper and Whimsy. The professor could be incredibly childish at times. "I'll get you home, Piper. It's getting kinda dark." Sure enough, orange wisps of cloud hovered over the darkened horizon, hanging steadily like toys on a mobile.

As Piper and the professor turned their back on Iki Town, the sun sank lower and the wind rustled the trees, casting silken shadows on the soft grass. Dusk arrived in Alola, and all was quiet.

* * *

Piper crashed onto her bed. Her intention had been to sleep, but staring face down in a mass of fitted sheets, she wondered if she really had to move. This stemmed partially from fatigue, but also from laziness. In the end, she somehow found the willpower to crawl under her covers, wriggling until she could see the blank, white ceiling. Whimsy frowned disapprovingly in the corner of her eye.

"Hey, no more mean looks or you can sleep downstairs," Piper threatened, although they both knew Piper didn't have the heart or the energy to banish Whimsy to the confines of the living room.

It was only seven thirty, but jet-lag had gotten the best of her. Her mom had left the house to buy a couple necessities, seeing as the house was entirely empty except for the suitcases they had packed. Hopefully the boxes would arrive next week.

 _Such a pain._ Piper tossed herself on her side, snuggling into Whimsy who had planted herself on the pillow. It hadn't been Piper's idea to move, no, that was her mom's wish. And yet her parents claimed they moved _because_ of Piper.

"That's ridiculous," Piper had said months ago, furiously pacing the floors of their home in Driftveil City. "We don't _need_ to move! My life is perfect!"

"We're afraid that's what you've convinced yourself of." Her mom had spoken in a kind but wary tone, seated at the kitchen table. Her forehead had wrinkled, maybe from thinking, or from stress. Or both.

"Your mom is right, Piper. You've spent all year working tirelessly, unhealthily—you won't listen to anything we say." Beside her sat Piper's dad, a stern man with an unwavering voice.

"That's not true—"

"It _is_ true. You take school much too seriously nowadays. We understand your desire to be the best battler, but not at the cost of your health." Her dad stared at her with rigid grey eyes, as though challenging her to disagree with him. Piper scoffed. His stubborn nature head-butted with her own, but Piper had learned the hard way not to dispute him directly.

"Hon, it's just not healthy to obsess over perfection," her mom said. "It can be fun to battle, but there are right and wrong ways to win. Winning at the expense of your wellbeing…"

"Is still winning," Piper argued. "You can't deny that I get results for all my hard work. How will I ever become a champion if I don't push myself?"

"That's enough. Your dad and I have conceded that it's time for a change of pace. Alola seems to be the perfect place for us to start a new life—and for you to find some balance."

"But what about Dad's job?"

"We've already spoken on this matter," her dad admitted. "We decided I'd be staying here to continue my work, while you and Mom go to Alola to start her new job. I'll visit, of course-"

"You mean _you_ get to stay in Unova but _I_ don't?" Piper's words were rendered useless as her mom rose from the table to signal the discussion was over, leaving Piper to let her blood boil in silence. There was no convincing her parents not to move. So Piper had stormed to her room, prickly and unapproachable, to call her best friend, the only one who would understand her situation.

"Piper?" The number she dialed picked up immediately, a familiar voice on the other end. "What's the matter? You never call."

"It's my parents." Piper's voice crackled with rage. She didn't even bother to contain it anymore. "First, they tried to pull me out of Striaton Academy, and now they want to move across the ocean."

"Arceus, that sentence has a lot to unpack. Why? Where?"

"I don't know! They said we're moving to Alola—"

"But isn't that a good thing?" Sol's voice brimmed with joy, and Piper momentarily felt guilty about her rage. "We'll live so much closer to each other! I haven't seen you since I left Striaton Academy!"

"I…I guess…but what about completing my preparation at school? What about challenging the League and all my hard work?"

"Oh, Piper. We have a very similar challenge here in Alola—albeit some minor differences, but the concept is the same. It's called the island challenge." Sol's voice took on a quieter, soothing tone as he continued, "Listen, I know it's rough. You know I had to move so many times just for Mother's work. But you'll be stellar here, okay?"

"Stellar." Piper had laughed dryly at the time, wishing it was all a dream. Everything she grew up with would be gone—but at least she had Sol behind her, supporting her wherever she went.

Now, Piper wondered if she had been wrong, to be so skeptical. Sure, things were different. People waved their arms in odd semi-circles, saying _alola_ as she passed them by. The sun burned much hotter than it ever had in Driftveil, her hometown, but there was something relaxing about retreating from the sun's rays into the shallows of the nearby beach. The professor seemed to like her well enough, and had accepted her as his new assistant almost immediately, even if he hadn't mentioned any of her credentials back at Striaton Academy. That puzzled Piper, but she went along with it.

"What do you think, Whimsy?" Piper clutched the edge of her pillow, anxiously awaiting her pokémon's reply. Whimsy chirped serenely, snuggling closer to Piper as her eyelids drooped sleepily. If sleep was contagious, Piper could feel it transferring in the form of a struggling yawn. Exhausted, she slipped deeper under her bedsheets, slowly losing sight of the ceiling as darkness settled.


	2. Chapter 2

Had anyone else been calling him at five in the morning, Sol would've blocked their number immediately and fallen back asleep. But after reading the caller ID, he reluctantly gave up hopes of a full night's rest, rubbed his eyes, and rolled out of bed.

"Jetlag, huh?" Sol's slurred voice sounded like thick fog, hazy and dreamlike in the early morning.

"Absolutely. I could've fallen asleep at like, seven last night, and I woke up really early, so I thought I'd try calling you."

"At _this ungodly hour of the morning_?"

"There's nothing better for me to do."

Sol's mouth stretched into a painful yawn as he turned on the light by his bed. Though he loved his best friend with undying loyalty, his brotherly love had limits (especially in the morning). This was definitelys crossing one of those limits.

"So, now that I'm on Melemele, do you think you can visit me? I know you're busy with work and all, but there's a festival going on today. Kukui told me to be at Iki Town by two."

"As far as I'm concerned, work is going to be nothing but painfully boring." Sol struggled to suppress a second yawn. "I'll see if I can get out of it in time to see you."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

"No problem, Pipes. See you soon." As he groggily clicked the end call button, a realization overcame Sol's weariness, blossoming into shock and giddiness.

 _His best friend was going to be in town._

* * *

Sol threw on a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, rolling up the sleeves of his lab coat in the hopes that looking smart would impress his supervisor. He pressed his green-rimmed glasses against the bridge of his nose before taking a moment to run his hands through his hair in the mirror. The teenage boy's skin bore a couple of unwanted blemishes, but his toothy smile distracted enough for him to overlook those flaws. And in the pocket of his coat, he felt the capsule containing a pokémon specifically selected for his best friend. _Perfect._

As soon as Sol had ended the call, he laid awake in bed for over an hour, letting memories run rampant as he reminisced over his days in school with Piper. To see her, and her smirking cottonee again—it seemed like an unreal, dreamlike possibility. But as he hurried from his dorm room to the elevator, he was determined to make it real.

Hardly anyone else walked the corridors of Aether Paradise this early in the morning. Most employees' days started at seven thirty, at which breakfast was served for those who stayed in the Paradise Dormitories. But Sol's superior required his few assistants to be present in the lab no later than six thirty.

Arriving at the lowest floor, Sol peered around the corner and into the lab—sure enough, Colress was already awake, preparing the day's work inside his private lab. Sol swiped his ID card and pulled on the heavy fireproof door, closing it as quietly as possible upon his entrance.

"You're early," Colress remarked, barely turning away from his computer. Colress had an uncanny talent for recognizing his protégés by the sound of their footsteps, a talent Sol sometimes wished Colress lacked. The older scientist turned his head ever so slightly, his piercing green eyes catching sight of Sol. "And sharply dressed. What's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter," Sol lied, his hands fidgeting at his side with eager excitement. Colress's eyes narrowed into feline slits in observation.

"Did someone die?"

"Gods, no."

"…did you develop a miracle cure for Rocky?"

"No."

"What's going on?" A low, male voice entered the room as the automatic door slid open a second time. _Dulse!_ A tall, teenage boy (though slightly shorter than Sol) accompanied the voice, greeting them with a stiff wave.

"Hiya, Doctor Colress, Sol!" A smaller, petite girl flounced next to Dulse, twirling her ginger braid around one pale blue finger. Colress nodded at her, his gaze taking on a gentler quality. Everyone had a soft spot for Zossie. Already one of the institutions most promising employees, she was only twelve. Sol tended to feel a pang of guilt each time he compared himself to her, but it was no use for anyone to compare themselves to Dulse or Zossie—the two were otherworldly. Literally.

"My best friend is in town," Sol started tentatively, barely able to hide his excitement. "She arrived yesterday, and she's staying on Melemele Island-"

Colress waved away the idea abruptly, shaking his head. "Melemele is useless to our studies. Forget it."

"Doctor Colress, please! She'll be at the annual Iki Town festival, which gathers the entire population of Melemele in one town. And the higher the concentration of people in an area-"

"-the stronger the aura readings." Dulse finished Sol's sentence, deep in thought. "That _could_ be beneficial to our aura research."

"I've never seen a festival before," Zossie chimed in, her doe eyes widening. "They don't have those back home!"

"You children..." Colress let out a long, drawn-out sigh. Sol noticed the slightest glimpse of defeat in his eyes as the scientist rubbed his temples, his hands running through the cyan streak in his white-blond hair.

"Is that...a yes?"

Colress huffed, and Sol could see the scientist's bleary eyes attempting to forge a frown. "The truth is, it'll be a while until the findings of our past experiments come to fruition. And Madame President hasn't yet cleared my application for access to one of her...creatures, if you can call it that. So if you truly believe reading auras will give you a better idea of our research…then go ahead. Take the day off."

"Seriously?" Sol glanced at his companions to make sure he hadn't misunderstood their boss.

"Seriously. But just one day," Colress warned them, watching Zossie waltz out the door. "Be back before curfew!"

Sol felt a rush of delight at the thought of having the day off. For months upon months, he had practically lived at the labs, constantly recording data for Colress. The older scientist gave him plenty of breaks, but Sol usually spent his free time trying to absorb the topics Colress presented to him in the first place, so even his breaks were filled with science.

Now that he thought about it, going to Iki Town was no different. He, Dulse and Zossie would still be recording data—but at least Sol would be closer to his best friend. Distracted by giddy joy, he had forgotten to ask Colress what Madame President's _creatures_ were, or why they needed permission to ask her for one. But a day off was a day off, and there was no way he would waste it by worrying.

"So, we're going to meet Pickle?" Dulse pressed the buttons of the platform elevator, sending them straight to the docks.

" _Piper."_

"And she'll be at a…festival?" Dulse questioned, as though he had never heard of one before.

"Exactly." Sol grinned as they departed the elevator, leading the pair behind him to one of Aether's many speedboats at the docks. "She's battling in the annual Iki Town Festival, from what I gathered. I'm going for moral support—moving to a new region isn't so easy."

"You're telling _us._ " Zossie gazed up at Sol with a warm twinkle in her eyes, smiling broadly. The latter snorted, but she was right. Moving from a different region wasn't quite the same as landing in a different dimension. Sol had moved many times before for his mother's work (each time more uncomfortably unpleasant than the last), but at least he could be grateful that he'd never moved from ultraspace.

"This is our ride, yes?" Dulse walked aboard the Aether speedboat, examining it thoroughly. "I have never been aboard this type of vessel. Will it fly?"

"Dulse, don't be silly," Zossie chided him. "It drives, obviously!"

Sol stifled a laugh, shaking his head as he boarded the speedboat. The culture shock was _rough_.

"Come on, you two. I'll explain more when we're on our way."

* * *

Sol could still remember the first day he'd met Piper.

It had been his first week at Striaton Academy, a private pokémon school for the elite. Several students had only made it in on account of the heaping sums of money in their bank accounts, while others knew a friend who knew a friend who knew the dean of admissions, using their status to weasel their way into the academy.

Nowadays, Sol considered himself a mixture of the two categories, though he hadn't known it at the time of his acceptance. There was a third category of students, entirely independent of the first two, where he had once thought he belonged.

They were the students admitted for their competency.

Piper had been one such student, who took multiple entrance exams to prove her aptitude. Not only had she passed the written exams, she had also passed the practical battle tests with flying colors. After careful consideration, the dean of admissions had allowed Piper and a few other middle class candidates to attend Striaton Academy.

Sol, on the other hand, had hardly any battling experience. His Alolan accent had intrigued several other students at first, as did his immense wealthy (which he would have preferred to keep a secret), but once they had discovered his weakness, battle classes became a nightmare.

The first day of school was especially dreadful. Sol had arrived at Striaton from Alola with his mother's chauffeur, who promptly drove off as soon as he had set foot outside the car. The black limo sped away, its sleek black body fleeting the school grounds and the only thing familiar to Sol disappeared.

No one whispered, no one pointed. Wealthy children inhabited the academy's dormitories more often than middle-class students did, it was a known fact that the dean of admissions welcomed richer families in order to keep up with donations and funds provided to Striaton Academy. The families would provide hefty sums of money, and their children could enter the school without a problem—or an entrance exam.

Sol, unknowing there had ever _been_ an entrance exam, sauntered into the school with Rocky by his side, a loyal, exotic-colored canine. Blue, at that. _That_ was typically what got people whispering.

Most of his classes passed by just fine—strategy-analysis, biology of pokémon, and geography consisted of teachers explaining the rules of the classroom and presenting the course curriculum for the year on small pamphlets. Most students knew they would inevitably just throw them away without sparing a glance, but Sol tucked them into his uniform so he could get a head start on studying.

Then came practical battle class—a class focusing only on actual battling and training, held outdoors near a vast expanse of battlefields. Sol had a bad feeling about this one, but his mother had enrolled him here to take this specific course. The teacher was in the middle of introducing himself when Sol's rockruff caught his eye.

"Whoa! Would that happen to be a color variant?"

Sol blushed, timidly nodding. Rocky yipped alongside him, eagerly wagging his tail. The class cooed at the canine, while a few took to boasting:

" _My_ dad has a color variant milotic, I don't see what the big deal is."

"Really? My momma said she'd buy me a white Eevee if I make top 5 in the class ranking by the end of the year!"

"Tch. Rich kids."

The teacher ignored them, focusing on Rocky's unusual scheme. "It's quite odd for pokémon to look that way, wouldn't you say so?"

Sol nodded timidly, for fear that the conversation would go exactly the way he predicted it would.

"There's been a lot of talk in the news that color variants produced in zoos are most likely inbred...which can lead to many health problems for those poor pokémon in the future. How did you manage to find such a rare catch?"

"A breeder."

"Speak up for the class, er, Sol, was it?"

"A-" Sol stuttered, clearing his throat, "A breeder. He's a rescue." The class had gone silent, and Sol realized they expected him to elaborate. "We bought him from a man who…sold specifically only color variants, so my mother and I took him in."

"Intriguing!" the teacher exclaimed, grabbing the whistle around his neck. "Well, I'm sure he'll do just fine on the fields. Everyone grab a partner and a battlefield!" A cluster of children groaned, muttering miserably about having to do work on the first day. Sol's concern stemmed from deeper reasons.

"Mister…um, teacher!" In all his anxiety, he had already forgotten the instructor's name. "I'm…I'm afraid Rocky can't battle."

"And why is that?"

"Health problems." Sol gulped as the instructor sized up his rockruff. "He's got asthma, a limp, and severe exercise could limit his air intake...therefore killing him." He barely managed to squeak out the last couple words, lowering his voice in the hopes no one would hear him.

"Huh." The teacher frowned, scribbling something on the clipboard in his arms. "Well, why don't you sit out for today and we'll work something out tomorrow. You coulda caught another pokémon, you know."

"Sorry," Sol squeaked, relieved that he didn't have to participate. Some students shot him curious glances, but kept their eyes on their opponents for the most part. By the end of the class, they entered the building with their pokémon muddied and panting, whispering a little too loudly.

"What's the point of buying such a special pokémon if it can't even exercise?"

"The real question is, why did he even _bother_ keeping a pokémon who can't battle?"

"I'd honestly rather own a metapod holding an everstone. Sure, it can't do much, but at least you can keep it around for dirty jokes—" A ripple of laughter spread through the students, and Sol made a mental note to avoid the boy who had told the joke. Then he made a mental note to avoid _all_ of them. How could people be so cruel?

"Are you okay? You look like you want to disappear." A small, dark haired girl walked beside him, clutching her own pokémon in her arms. Sol felt a brief flicker of delight as he recognized it—a cottonee. Finally, a species he had seen in his home region! His delight dissipated as he remembered he was supposed to feel vengeful, and he scowled.

"It's fine."

"Are you sure? You were looking a lot better before people started asking questions."

"Then perhaps you should stop asking them."

"Listen, I'm only trying to help." The girl clenched her fists in stubborn determination. Sol wondered if she was debating whether or not to punch him. He honestly would'nt have blamed her if she did. "It must really suck… but I was going to say we could eat lunch together next period. I could give you some tips on battling, or find you an active pokémon."

"Sorry, _what_ sucks?" Sol snapped. The girl blinked, clearly taken aback.

"Well...not to be rude, or anything, but it must feel bad to not be able to battle."

"Who says Rocky and I need to battle to feel good about ourselves?"

The dark haired girl paused, then delivered her next words as slowly as possibly, as though she were talking to a kindergartener. "I don't know where you're from or why you decided to enroll, but you know this is a trainer's school, right?"

 _Of course I know that._ Bitter, Sol turned away, unable to accept the girl had made a good point. Why was he even here, if he couldn't battle? Why had he decided to enroll in a school so far, far away from home, with no one to turn to, except his own deficient pokémon?

"So is that a yes?"

The girl was still standing there, persistent as ever. Sol frowned.

"I asked if you wanted to eat lunch together." With wide eyes she gazed at him, awaiting a response. _Stubborn girl._ Despite being increasingly annoying, she wasn't such a bad conversationalist. And Sol figured no one else would invite him to eat lunch that day, so what was the harm in saying yes?

"Thanks. I'm just having an unusually bad day." He glanced down at the girl, who apparently expected more of an apology judging from her raised eyebrows. If she contorted them any more, Sol was pretty sure they'd go into her hairline. "I didn't think people would start avoiding me like I'm a zubat in a cave on my first day."

"I personally think zubat make great partners, even if I've never had one. C'mon, let's eat our lunch in the dreamyard! I bet we can find a great catch there. Whaddya say, Rocky?" Rocky yipped, jumping at the girl until she giggled and scratched behind his ears. "I'm Piper, by the way. What's your name?"

"Sol."

"Well, you really are just a bucket of sunshine, aren't you, Sol?"

Sol had assumed Piper knew that "sol" meant sun in a variety of other languages. Despite being talkative, she was good company. And she had been the only reason he passed practical battling with a B minus. Now, the fact that she was moving to Alola filled Sol with joy to the point where he felt he would burst if he had to wait any longer to show her around the region. It was his turn to make Piper feel welcome in her new home.

He quickly slipped his hand into his pocket, checking to make sure the pokéball was still there. In permanent marker he had inscribed "TESLA," hoping Piper would appreciate the name he chose for the grubbin. The pokémon itself was fairly weak, but if Sol remembered correctly, Piper enjoyed raising a challenge.

"Are we there yet?" Zossie chewed thoughtfully on her fiery braid, prompting a look of disgust from Dulse.

" _Please_ refrain from eating your hair." His voice took on the tone of a chiding mother as he snatched the braid out of her hands, placing it neatly on her shoulder. "My navigation device says we have fifteen more minutes before we reach Hau'oli Harbor. From there, it should be a thirty minute run to Iki Town."

"I'm sure we can find a shorter route." Sol's mind went directly to the abundance of taxis parked in Hau'oli City, willing to drive to nearly any corner of the island.

"Why can't we just take another boat?"

"We'd have to go around to Kala'e Bay and then travel upstream to get to Mahalo Ravine, and _then_ we'd have to scale the ravine to get to Mahalo Trail. It'd take us quite a while to reach the festival," Dulse answered, observing the map on his device.

"Don't worry, Zossie. We'll be taking this boat to make it back to Paradise by evening." The pale blue girl's eyes lit up, dancing as she clapped her hands together.

"Gosh, Sol, when all of this is over, we'll get to show you our dimension! We can even take you on a tour of Ultra Megalopolis!"

"If anything's left of it, that is." Dulse's grumbling went ignored as Zossie shot Sol an apologetic look.

"We'll save your city soon enough," Sol finally said, standing from his chair. "As soon as they finish taming the beast killer, we'll be fine."

"I hope so." Together, the trio departed the boat, stepping into the warm Alolan sunshine.

* * *

There were some days at Aether where Sol was more worried than others. The institution preached kindness and love towards pokémon and people. Lower level workers went about their day, caring for creatures in the gardens, researching rarer species in the fields, or tending to the extremely valuable cargo at the docks. But only a core group of researchers felt the colossal pressure of Aether's true mission. A group that Sol's mother, unfortunately, bribed the charity to let him join.

If Sol could've had his way, he would have rather taken care of the smaller issues at Aether, such as monitoring the pH of the pools in the conservatoire, or releasing healed pokémon back into the wild. But his mother was intent on sending him to a more prestigious, highly secret unit of Aether: the ultraspace unit.

Only a couple months ago, Dulse and Zossie had shown up at Aether Paradise, begging Madame President for help of any kind. In a sort of information exchange, the president agreed to come to their aid as long as they provided her with knowledge of ultraspace, a strange phenomenon which Sol was forced to learn about.

The mission, as far as Sol was concerned, felt nearly hopeless, but exploring different parts of Alola gave Dulse and Zossie hope that they could open a wormhole again to travel back to their realm. Aura readings, for whatever reason, seemed to help them gauge the areas containing the strongest energies.

"Is that the girl you speak of?" Dulse pointed out a figure in the distance as they hiked up the hill to Iki Town. "If so, you could just meet her and we'll go on to do proper work."

"I wanna meet someone new," Zossie protested, trekking along through the tall grass. Sol sympathized with the young girl. As of their arrival, the two foreigners were hardly allowed to speak to those outside of the Ultra Space unit. "Besides, my aura reading of this place is getting stronger. I can feel it!" Sure enough, Zossie's aura reader glowed, the trendline spiking as they walked.

Sol approached the girl cautiously, briefly taking in the sight of her grey tank top and the cottonee that hovered close to her neck. Her hair was chopped similarly to the last time he'd seen her—but just to confirm, he tapped her shoulder, holding his breath.

"Sol?" The teenage boy could barely respond as Piper tackled him in an ursuring hug, squeezing her thin arms around his ribs. "You made it just in time!" Sol nodded, gently releasing himself from the embrace so he could breathe.

"It's been a while." Now that he was here, he couldn't think of anything better to say, despite the small monologues he had ran through his head before. Piper stared oddly, although she seemed to be searching past him.

"Are these your new…friends?" Though she spoke calmly, Sol could hear the nerves in the higher parts of Piper's voice. He turned his head over his shoulder to see Zossie, who examined Piper with increasing curiosity, and Dulse, who glanced at her indifferently.

"Of sorts."

He was going to have a _lot_ of explaining to do.

* * *

 **Hi! Hope you enjoyed the chapter :) For future reference, replies to brief and easy-to-answer reviews will be left at the bottom of the chapter. I'll reply to lengthier and more complicated reviews via PM.**

 **romeocitychicag: There's no doubt that Piper's parents' reasoning is a little farfetched, but I took some creative liberty and decided their main motive for moving was to ease Piper's stress from school. Sure, it's a bit of a stretch, but at my old school students were highly competitive and a lot of people suffered severely from stress until it began to affect their health. So let's say it's a bit of creative liberty, and wishful thinking ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

The walk to Iki Town was a short one, on which Sol and his mysterious friends accompanied Piper and her mother to the kahuna's house. Although Piper wanted to spill all of her stories to Sol and reminisce over old memories they had shared together, she found herself distracted by his companions' pale blue skin and armor-like outfits. The taller of the pair—Dulse, he said—spoke matter-of-factly, introducing himself briefly before going mute for the rest of the walk. The younger girl named Zossie chattered rapidly, obviously well acquainted with Sol.

Piper couldn't help but wonder if Sol had made better friends without her. Back at Striaton, it had usually just been the two of them. But something had changed…

She had parted with Sol and his strange friends after Kahuna Hala had decided to usher her and her mother into his home. Sitting on a woven wicker chair, sipping an iced water, Piper still found it hard to believe Sol's companions had naturally blue skin. Maybe they cosplayed? Was it an island custom to show up in blue skin and a tight scuba-esque suit? Piper shook her head, setting her drink down.

"We've got a lot to learn about this place." Whimsy nodded amiably, cuddling up to Piper's shoulder. Piper's mother had fixed a bandage on Whimsy's battle wounds from the afternoon before, but something told Piper today's battle would be too hot and sweaty for it to stay on.

"Worry not, child." The kahuna stood opposite her, over a dining table longer than Piper's entire room. "Between the professor, me and the guardian deity, you are in good hands."

"Don't forget about me," Piper's mother joked, setting her own drink on the table. "I like to think I can take care of her too."

"Of course!" Piper glanced over to see Professor Kukui had entered the room, followed by Lillie. The professor smiled encouragingly at Piper before unpacking a slim, cylindrical case from his bag. "This is something we all agreed on—it would be good for you to carry these on your journey." Kukui pressed a button and the case unlatched, revealing five identical standard pokéballs. "Pretty cool, huh? You haven't caught any Alolan pokémon yet, so this is a special gift from me."

Piper turned to Whimsy as she found a spot in her backpack for the capsules. "We really need to get you some new friends, don't we?" Whimsy yawned indifferently.

"Does Whimsy not like making new friends?" Lillie observed the cotton pokémon carefully. "She seemed fine around Nebby." At the mention of its name, a muffled _pew!_ came from inside her bag.

"Whimsy likes other pokémon, as long as they're not on my team," Piper explained, shooting the cottonee a sour look. "She likes to be the star." Whimsy affirmed this with a curt nod, puffing out her plush body.

"Well, tonight Whimsy can be the star of the festival," Piper's mother said warmly.

"That's right. You'll battle my grandson Hau tonight to honor the great guardian deities." Kahuna Hala moved towards the door, beckoning for the others to follow him. "He looks forward to starting his island challenge tomorrow with you."

"Island challenge?"

"Sure. You're gonna go on one of your own, you know!" Kukui stepped into the glowing sunshine, making his way to the wooden battle platform. A throng of villagers surrounded the platform, holding small children in their arms or sitting side-by-side with their pokémon. Youthful musicians accompanied a flute melody with their hollow drums, letting the sound carry onto the wind. Piper saw Sol had managed to secure himself a spot in the crowd, although his two friends had left.

"It's a bit similar to challenging gyms in Unova." Suddenly, Lillie halted, staying close to one of the torches lighting the town path. "If you don't mind, everyone, I'd prefer to stay here until the battle finishes…"

"Why?" Both Piper and Whimsy gave her a quizzical look. Why would anyone pass up the opportunity to see a fun festival battle? Even if it was casual, surely viewers could still learn something from it.

"I don't like seeing pokémon fighting each other. Or anyone getting hurt, for that matter…" Lillie faltered, a conflicted look settling over her face. "Oh, but if it's you battling, and Hau, I suppose it would inspire Nebby…" An eager _pew_ came from her bag.

"That's the spirit!" Kukui motioned for Piper to step up to the platform. She glanced back at Lillie, who gave her the slightest smile as Piper climbed the steps to the battlefield. Across from her stood a dark-skinned boy, tanned by the Alolan sun. His evergreen ponytail shone in the sunlight, and his broad smile radiated a happiness rivalled by no one in the village.

"So you're Piper!" The boy flashed a toothy grin at her. "I hope you're not too jetlagged to battle!"

"Not at all," Piper replied smoothly, though she didn't know how true her statement was. Taking her place on the wooden platform, she felt her heart pound with excitement. _My very first trainer battle in Alola._ She glanced at the crowd below her. More people had arrived than she thought would, buzzing warmly with the sounds of their trivial conversations.

 _More people to watch me win._

"Hey, Piper!" Sol stood beside the platform, waving. In his hand he displayed a pokéball, scrawled on with inky letters. "It's a good-luck gift!" Piper caught the capsule with agile ease, turning it over in her palm. _TESLA,_ the pokéball read.

"Hey, you can't do that," Piper protested. "I didn't even get you a present—how am I supposed to get you back?"

"Buy me a malasada and we'll call it even?"

"Deal." Already, the anxious feelings she had about growing distant from Sol were displaced by ones of strength and excitement. Piper turned back to Whimsy, who scowled disdainfully at the capsule in Piper's hand. Piper rolled her eyes. She had already known the cotton pokémon would be pissed as soon as she saw the pokéball. But it was about time they gained a new team member, even if she didn't use it straight away.

"Good evening. As Melemele's own island kahuna, I welcome you to the annual Iki Town festival." Kahuna Hala's voice boomed like the hollow drums around the battlefield as he took his place on a podium behind the platform, there to judge the battle. "Standing before you are two promising youths. One is Hau, my own grandson, a native to this village. The other is Piper, of Driftveil City, who has had an encounter with Tapu Koko!"

Murmurs dwelled underneath the beat of the drums. Piper knew not to listen to the crowd—part of battling was a performance. She couldn't let anything distract her from her efforts. Still, she snuck a small glimpse of the crowd, her heart rising to see Sol give her a smile of encouragement. The kahuna's words became distant, as he offered a prayer to the guardian deity.

"For all life on this island, and for those who undertake the island challenge with joy in their hearts…we pray for your protection, for them and all Melemele. May this pokémon battle be an offering to our island's guardian deity—Tapu Koko!" The kahuna lifted his head from his praying position, motioning for Hau to send out a pokémon.

"Aria, come on out!" A royal blue pokémon burst forth from the capsule, clapping its flippers eagerly. It bore a lighter frill around its neck, and its body slimmed towards the back to give shape to a finlike tail. The color palette was mainly blue, so Piper had to assume it was a water type.

 _We've got this._ Renewed confidence surged through her veins as she tightened her hands into fists. "Whimsy, let's go! Use—"

A blinding light exploded from her hand as a second creature formed on the battlefield. A tiny larva-like pokémon scuttled around on its stubby legs, its grey body housed by an orange and yellow shell. Two mandibles protruded from the pokémon's face, clipping anxiously as it awaited Piper's orders.

"Whoa! That's not allowed!" Hau called from across the platform, crossing his arms. The crowd muttered in agreement, whispers drifting back and forth like a rocking boat.

"I'm afraid the boy is right, Piper," Kahuna Hala said. "Now that you've accidentally sent out that grubbin, you must recall the cottonee."

"I didn't _mean_ to send out Grubbin—er, I mean, Tesla," Piper protested. The spectator's murmurs swelled. _I did accidentally hit the release button on that pokéball, though. So I guess it's only fair…_ Reluctantly, Piper reached for Whimsy's capsule, recalling the pokémon despite Whimsy's sour gripes. _It's just you and me now, Tesla. And that other kid's clown seal._

"The battle will resume!" Hala declared, drawing cheers from the crowd. "Trainers, whenever you're ready!"

Piper grit her teeth. Tesla's move set remained a mystery, considering Piper had only obtained it mere minutes ago. She didn't know its typing, nor its power. The new pokémon crawled around the wooden plank of the battlefield, turning back to see when Piper would give orders, but Piper's voice failed to function. She was out of ideas.

"Man, I was tryna be polite but if you're just gonna stall, I'll take the first move!" Hau grinned across the battlefield, his relentless smile threatening to split his face in half. "Aria, use pound!"

"Tesla, dodge!" Piper shouted frantically. _Think. Think. What would my teachers do?_ She had used rental pokémon before at Striaton Academy, so what made this situation any different? Hau's pokémon waddled across the battlefield as best it could, while Tesla circled backwards to avoid it. Both seemed to be fairly weak, so Tesla probably had a weak move set.

"Use tackle!" Tesla perked up the name of the move, scuttling furiously at Aria. The seal pokémon yelped, sent rolling when Tesla charged into its side. _Yes!_ "Use tackle again!"

"Hey! Aria, try water gun!" Aria spit a jet of water from its mouth, a narrow stream that spattered the crowd in mist as it hit its target's shell. Tesla landed helplessly on its back, groaning as it struggled to turn back on its side. Aria took that as a signal to keep firing ruthlessly without Hau's instruction. With each jet Tesla clearly became more disoriented, rolling against its will across the platform.

 _If I don't act quickly, this battle will be over in a couple seconds._ "Tesla, try jumping to get back on your feet!" Unfortunately, Tesla's feet were barely six little grey nubs, useless for jumping. But by a stroke of luck, Aria's water gun propelled the larva pokémon off the ground, sending Tesla flying. Tesla squealed, rotating in the air as best it could in an attempt to land on its feet.

"Nice recovery!" Hau remarked, to Piper's surprise. But I don't plan on losing my first battle. Aria, use growl!" The aquatic pokémon panted breathlessly, water dribbling from its maw. A shaky snarl escaped its jaws, but Tesla mustered enough energy to hiss back, clicking its mandibles ferociously.

"Tackle!" Tesla scurried painstakingly, tripping on the ground as it rushed towards Aria.

"Not so fast!" Hau whistled, calling Aria backwards. The aquatic pokémon wriggled back, slapping its flippers meant for the sea against the wooden battlefield. "Use water gun!" Aria gurgled, intermittently spitting out small bursts of water like a broken sprinkler system. Tesla slipped, sliding across the battlefield and straight into the seal pokémon. The two crashed on the ground in an inelegant heap.

"Tesla, use…" Piper stared blankly at the brawlers, wishing she had studied Alolan pokémon in depth at school. It couldn't be that Tesla's only move was tackle, could it? "Just poke it! Poke Aria!" A flush of shame took over her face, but she truly couldn't think of any more inventive ideas. _So much for being a star student._

Tesla jabbed at Aria with its sturdy mandibles, causing the seal pokémon to wince and occasionally, let out a pitiful whimper. Hau called out an attack, but neither pokémon seemed to hear him. Finally, Aria broke free and bit into Tesla's hard shell with a set of sharp canines. Tesla yelped, causing the crowd to shrink back. Blood trickled from its back and onto the wooden boards.

High above, a shrill cry sounded across the town, so loud Piper wondered if she had imagined it. But Hau turned his head to the heavens as well to watch a bolt of lightning strike open the sky, although there were no clouds nor storms to be seen. The crowd fell silent, waiting for Hala's instruction.

After brief introspection, the kahuna cleared his throat. "It appears the island guardian has blessed us with its presence! We may only hope Tapu Koko enjoyed the exciting battle brought to you today. This match will end in a draw."

Piper groaned. She couldn't remember the last time she'd battled so foolishly that she had to call a _draw._ Maybe if she had studied more, or read up on Alolan pokémon before her flight—

"Hey, nice job." Hau's voice startled Piper, as she turned her head to see the boy standing right in front of her, his hand extended. Worry swarmed her head like beedrill around a nest before she realized Hau's comment was not sarcastic, but genuinely heartfelt.

"Me?"

"There's no one else battling, right?" Hau laughed, throwing Piper off-guard. "It was a great first battle for Aria. We had a lot of fun together!"

Piper shook his hand, unable to stop herself from smiling. The boy's enthusiasm was contagious, even if she didn't necessarily believe his peppy words... "You battled really well, too."

"Well, I _am_ the kahuna's grandson after all! It'd be a shame if I didn't live up to my ol' Tutu's title, right?"

"That must be rough," Piper agreed. "But you got the island guardian's blessing. No one can dispute you on that, right?"

"We'll see," Hau replied. "People always find a way. Aren't you going to put your grubbin back in its pokéball? It could get injured more if you keep it out."

"Grubbin," Piper repeated, recalling the bruised pokémon back to its capsule. She would remember that name and research it later. The professor could certainly provide information on the specimen, although Piper was fairly sure that she could find the same details online. And fortuitously, Kukui awaited her at the edge of the wooden platform, with the kahuna and Lillie by his side.

"Great battle, you two!"

"Needless to say, that battle pleased Tapu Koko very much," Kahuna Hala added. "I look forward to our own battles when you progress in your island challenges."

"Island challenges?" Piper glanced around, searching for her mother. She was swaying next to the village's traditional dancers, already caught up in the local culture. "Mom said I was here in Alola to relax…"

"Ha! I think what your mother meant was that you need to learn some lessons, kid. Lessons about not stressing too much." Kukui ruffled Piper's dark hair, which only served to stress her out further.

"Not _that_ again. Besides, an island challenge is sort of like challenging gyms, right? It's about striving to be the best."

"Tch, child," the kahuna scoffed, assuming a serious stance. "It's more than just about ranking yourself. The island challenge is a journey to overcome your own limitations as you travel the far corners of Alola, and meet others along your path. It is a journey of self-discovery and finding the strength in your soul to prevail through hardships." Hala paused, narrowing his eyes in case Piper dared to disagree with him. "Yes, there is a certain element of aiming to be the strongest trainer of the four islands. But if you cannot find that strength within yourself…you could lead yourself down a very dark path, as I have seen many children go before."

"Woah there, Tutu, let's not scare Piper out of Alola just yet!" Hau chuckled nervously, turning back to Piper. "I had no idea Professor here didn't tell you I'd be accompanying you on the island challenge. He told me it might be good for you to have a native guide you across the region."

 _That would be helpful,_ Piper agreed.

"And you have your mother's blessing," Lillie chimed in, who had remained quiet throughout the whole conversation. Hau and Piper gave Lillie a look of bewilderment. "What? She told me while we observed your battle."

"Well…it would be nice to get back to battling," Piper admitted. Today's battle had been her first trainer battle in weeks, and she missed the feeling of having a winning streak. But she couldn't imagine why her mother consented to Piper's island challenge, when the stress of battling had been what made them leave Unova in the first place.

"Then take this." Hala presented a stone bracelet laden with intricate carvings to Piper, which she accepted gratefully. "The guardian must have wanted you to keep this z-ring. As your bond deepens with your pokémon, the z-ring will be able to harness that energy and release it in battle."

"Now all you need is a z-crystal to put inside it!" Kukui remarked.

Piper's head spun. Sol had brought up the concept of the island challenge a couple times during their weekly video calls, but the details were hazy. "Those are similar to badges, right?"

"Well, sorta, except you can do way more than just polish them. No offense or anything."

"If I may." Lillie stepped out from behind the professor, pointing out a hollow groove on the band. "This spot allows you to lock in a crystal, which you'll most likely obtain throughout the island challenge. Then, you've got to do a special set of movements to channel energy from your pokémon."

"For someone who doesn't like battles, you sure know a lot about them," Hau commented, prompting a soft blush from Lillie.

"T-Thanks?"

"Most trainers have to search for their own sparkling stone to forge into a Z-Ring. But it seems Tapu Koko blessed you with a stone early in your journey. Perhaps it has a mission for you," Kahuna Hala contemplated, his brow furrowing.

"Well, I sure hope not." Piper grinned sheepishly. "With all due respect to the island guardian, I've got strict orders from Mom to relax."

* * *

Sol had waited for her, leaning against the wooden fence that divided Iki Town from the darkening woods. He looked the same as always: his chestnut hair breaking free from his preferred hairstyle no matter how much hair product he used, thick rimmed glasses, and of course that lab coat embroidered with a golden trident swaying around his lean body. It was as though nothing had changed in the past couple years. Except for his work, and his friends.

"Sorry about that," Sol apologized as she took her place beside him. "I shouldn't have given you Tesla before the match."

"Nah, it's fine. It was my fault for accidentally letting Tesla out." Piper lazily blew a strand of inky hair out of her face. Now that it was just the two of them, she could relax.

"Do you like her?" It took Piper a moment to realize Sol was referring to Tesla.

"I think she's cute, but Whimsy…well, you know how Whimsy is." They both giggled, Sol's laugh airily rising above the afternoon breeze.

"I remember that one time, you had to rent out a second pokémon at Striaton to participate in double battle tournaments…man, that panpour was _toast_ at the end of class. It was like Whimsy didn't recognize him as her own team."

"No, she did," Piper replied dryly. "She just hates the thought of anyone else stealing the spotlight. Speaking of, I won't be letting her out for the rest of the night. Did you see the sour look she gave me when Tesla jumped on the battlefield?"

"Well, I've got worse news, I'm afraid."

"Shoot."

"Tesla's sort of affectionate."

"Damn!" They both knew that had Tesla been some indifferent, callous pokémon unwilling to socialize, Whimsy would've been just fine because it meant she could hog Piper's attention for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Whimsy hadn't been so lucky…

"But Tess is a real fighter. A rescue, too—so I know she'll be able to hold up against Whimsy's pettiness. I'm hoping she'll be the one to change her mind about working as a team," Sol said.

"I sure hope so."

"If you take her out, I can clean up her wounds and give you the full rundown on how to take care of her. Something tells me you're not the best with first aid."

"Yeah, yeah…" Sol had always been the one to patch up their pokémon after class in the Striaton dormitories. He had endless experience of administering pills to Rocky, wrapping casts for Rocky's limp, and trying new physical therapy routines for the pup that Piper knew she couldn't hold a candle to his medical expertise. Eventually, she had just let him take over of Whimsy's care routines since force feeding her sitrus berries never seemed to work.

Tesla crawled across Sol's shoes, blood drying on her hard shell. Sol clicked his tongue, pulling a first-aid kit from the inside of his lab coat.

"Lookin' good, Nurse Joy."

"Shut up. Most Aether employees have these shoved up their coats just in case we run into a sick pokémon." Sol sprayed a solution onto a washcloth, then gently dabbed the cloth along Tesla's shell. Tesla squirmed, but kept herself from running away. "Tesla is a normal-type, although she looks a lot like a bug. Grubbin gain dual-typing once they evolve a second time."

"I'm guessing Tesla is far too weak to reach that stage yet."

"Mhm." Sol reached for a tube of antibacterial cream, gently swabbing it over the grubbin's back while holding her gently, preventing her from wriggling. "First she has to evolve into charjabug, but even that'll be a while." Sweeping his supplies back into the kit, Sol dusted his hands and hid the kit back under his coat. Piper snorted.

"You should just give up that program at work and become a doctor."

"Who says my work at the Aether Foundation isn't medically based?"

"It isn't," Piper replied smoothly. "If it was, you'd have told me already."

"Pipes." Sol smiled gently and cautiously, as though he was about to chide a stubborn preschooler. Piper _hated_ that look. If it weren't Sol addressing her, she would have already started to complain. "You know I can't release information about my job. But the research I'm working on is far from the medical field."

"Tch." Piper resisted the urge to pout. Best friends didn't keep secrets, but someone of Sol's status had to. If he accidentally leaked information regarding his confidential project, the media would probably get a hold of it and his mother would have to pick up all the pieces. "It's a shame you can't do medically based work. There's gotta be a cure for Rocky out there _somewhere,_ right?"

"They've been funding his healthcare, actually." Sol perked up, his face glowing in the firelight of the torches. "Not that I needed the money, but it's very kind. Rocky gets treated once a week at the hospital facilities of Aether."

"As do your blue-skinned friends?" Sol made a contorted face at Piper's comment, and she wondered if she had said something insensitive. "I mean, that's a medical condition, right?"

"It's more of a biological thing."

"And equally confidential as the Aether project?"

Sol made a noise that sounded like a cross between an exhale and a train whistling. Piper laughed.

"You can just say yes, you know."

Sol huffed. "I promise not every at Aether is top-secret."

"I'm sure. I'll still visit you one day when I'm not caught up in the island challenge."

"You will," Sol agreed. "But I'm certain we'll cross paths nonetheless. I'll be doing plenty of field work this summer, and you're highly mistaken if you think I won't make time in my schedule to see you."

"Sure. Wouldn't want to miss the rise of the world's next champion, eh?" Piper elbowed him playfully, drawing out an eye-roll from her best friend. Finally, things were back to normal.

"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. You'd annoy all the challengers off the island, and then you'd have no competition!"

Piper couldn't contain her laughter, feeling a warm sensation running through her veins as Sol joined her in her giggling. Past them, the festivities continued, and as Piper caught her breath she watched the torches crackle and flicker in the evening light. The breeze played with her hair, bringing the refreshing scent of a new start: a new start in a new region, with the sweet aroma of exotic flowers and grilled delicacies.

 _Maybe moving to Alola was the right choice after all._

* * *

 **romeocitychicag: Thanks! I plan on exploring the side-effects of shiny breeding further, and how that affects Sol and Rocky's life together. And although your theory is plausible, I actually have a different love interest intended for Piper ;) Although his name doesn't show up as a character tag, which is a little inconvenient :/**

 **B-League Bratwurst: Piper's storyline is definitely a little more run-of-the-mill compared to Sol's because she's going on the standard island challenge, albeit there are some twists and turns for her and her team. Although both of them are protagonists, Sol's going to have a lot more original content because I wanted to portray what I thought it would be like to working on a top-secret project at the Aether Foundation.**


	4. Chapter 4

By the time Sol found himself ready to leave the festival, the sun had sunk in the sky, casting an iridescent orange glow over the ocean. Zossie and Dulse stood by the Aether speedboat, the latter waiting patiently while the younger chased wingull down the docks.

"Took you long enough," Dulse remarked. "She's been a troublemaker all afternoon."

"I'm just tryna have fun!" Zossie panted, sending a trio of wingull scrambling into the air. They cawed, whining, before floating away on the evening breeze.

"At least you two found your way back. Getting used to the island?"

"I retraced our steps on my navigator," Dulse admitted. "Although it was rather hard to accomplish, seeing as we travelled many footsteps to obtain as many aura readings as possible." The trio passed dozens of smaller sailboats, the masts barren as the boats eagerly awaited their sailor's return. Dulse boarded the Aether speedboat, chiding Zossie as he herded the small child into the vessel.

"I found the highest aura reading!" Zossie squeaked, as they all clambered into the hatch. It wasn't necessary to watch the steering of the boat, since the Aether boats all had pre-programmed routes, but it was much better than standing outside and getting whipped by the winds.

"Is that so?" Sol ruffled Zossie's hair. The redhead frowned, snapping her head to the side so she could slap him with the end of her braid.

"Not cool. It took me twenty minutes to put this in myself!" Despite a stark contrast in appearance, Zossie reminded Sol of Piper when they were young. Piper would also complain when Sol would mess up her braids, although her hair was much too short for that now.

"Don't bicker, Zossie," Dulse chided.

"He messed with my hair first," the girl in question grumbled, but resigned herself to pouting silently anyway. Both Sol and Dulse knew it would only be a few minutes before Zossie forgot what to be sour over, and resume her cheerful demeanor. And despite Dulse's disapproving glances and attempts to keep the younger girl in line, they both knew he harbored a soft spot for Zossie, like the way parents managed to scold their children in order to protect them.

"So what _was_ the highest aura reading?"

"I think Zossie would be more than happy to elaborate." Zossie, still indignant, reluctantly opened up.

"Well, it was super weird," she admitted. "At first, all the aura readings were pretty predictable. Some people had low aura, most of them were kinda medium on the spectrum, and a lot of the pokémon had the auras of their trainers surrounding them. But your friend, at the festival, spiked _way_ off the charts."

"Piper? Doesn't really surprise me," Sol remarked, though he felt the slightest tinge of jealousy. What about his aura? Surely the son of one of the most important people in Alola would also have intriguing data?

"We'd actually like to know if we'll see her sometime in the future, to take her aura reading again," Dulse added.

"Why would you need a second reading?" Sol slipped into the boat cabin, selecting the fastest route back to Aether Paradise. With a deep hum, the engine sputtered to life, churning the water beneath it.

"Recruits!" Zossie chirped, as if Sol had any idea what that meant.

"Well, it's not just that," Dulse interrupted. "We would need a second reading—actually, multiple aura readings—to confirm our previous data. If Piper's aura remains consistently high, well, as Zossie said, we'd like to recruit her in aiding our journey back home to defeat—"

"No. Absolutely not."

" _Why_ not?" Dulse narrowed his eyes, his voice bearing a slight edge.

"Piper's way too stressed out these days," Sol said. "The entire reason her mom dragged her out to Alola was to have some fun and relax. The last thing she needs is the responsibility of saving the world in another dimension." _I didn't want this responsibility either._

"No one wants the responsibility of saving another world," Zossie replied, uncharacteristically quietly. "But when the Blinding One brings your world into darkness too, will she have that choice?"

Sol could feel his eyes practically bugging out of his head. Never in his time working with her had he seen Zossie speak so somber. Desperate, he looked to Dulse for support, but even Dulse merely shrugged.

"She's got a point. We don't have much of a choice when it comes to our mission."

"Arceus." Sol slumped against the railing of the deck, misty seafoam stinging his cheeks. "You know I'd do anything to further the mission to ultra space, but Piper's off limits. She literally just got her second pokémon, and there are stronger trainers out here in Alola. So just promise me you'll try and recruit someone else?" Sol's request was met with hesitant silence, but he decided to give his companions the benefit of the doubt and assume they meant _yes._

If they meant otherwise, well…they'd have to go through Sol first.

* * *

Sol wasn't much to go through, considering he hadn't battled in years. This was partially due to Rocky's ailment. Had Sol picked up a pokémon from the wild, he wouldn't have encountered the issue of trying to raise a crossbred color-variant while simultaneously making visits to a hospital every couple weeks. But ten years ago, Sol had found Rocky in a cardboard box in the dimly lit streets of Malie City, whining at the heels of a cranky, slouching man.

"How much?" He recalled his mother asking the man, who scoffed in return.

"He's in the box for a reason, ma'am. Worth nothing at all. I spend all this time breeding to get the blue color folks like to see in a rockruff, only to end up with a defect. Stupid mutts. Nothing left for me to do except leave him on the street—he sure won't be worth anything in the pound."

"Then I suppose we'll take him off your hands for free." With that, Carmen Mahi'ai swept the puppy into her arms, ignoring the fact that Rocky's matted fur would ruin her silk blazer. When the pair arrived at home, Sol found the "defects" the man on the street had mentioned.

The pup limped across their antique Kalosian rug, dragging his hind leg in sporadic, jerky movements. His jaws curved into a wide, welcoming grin as his tongue hung from his fangs, despite the hoarse sounds of his breathing. The rockruff struggled to walk as his chest rose and fell in such a way that hurt to look at, but for some reason Sol couldn't take his eyes off the struggling pup.

They took him to the doctor the very next day.

Puppy mills, the doctor had said, were the cause of terrible defects like these. Most breeders required a license to prove they ran an ethical clinic in which they sold their best specimens, but shadier, lower-class breeders often turned to puppy mills to cash in on some of the most popular pokémon. Eevee mills used to run rampant in Kanto until a law passed, shutting most of them down. Zorua were popular in Unova, although no one could seem to locate them. In Alola, people desired rockruff for their children's first pet—in particular, they desired a _blue_ rockruff.

While some color variant rockruff occurred naturally, it could take years to find one in the wild. Puppy mill breeders sped up the process by breeding the rockruff with other members of their rockruff family in the hopes that the right gene would produce in the offspring, turning the offspring periwinkle blue. As a result, many blue rockruff were inbred, and suffered severe health consequences.

From then on, Rocky would have to see a specialist once a week. With shallow breathing and a limp, he was at a disadvantage for battling, but Sol didn't mind. What did concern him, though, was Rocky's lack of ability to evolve. In theory, his disabled pokémon could muster enough energy to handle an evolution, but it would likely kill him. So Carmen had paid for a surgical treatment to embed an everstone in Rocky's neck, and that was that.

Occasionally, Sol regretted not picking a competent starter pokémon. In his youth he had never dwelled too long on the consequences of raising a pokémon that couldn't battle, but as he got further and further into the school year, he wished he had started training much earlier. He did have a secondary pokémon to rely on—but Sol didn't have the same bond that other trainers had with their pokémon.

"Hey, what's that?" Zossie inquired, leaning over the railing of the boat. Dulse held her by the waist, pulling her back from the frothing water as Sol paused the navigation computer's course. The pre-programmed route blinked, and the speedboat slowed to a gentle stop.

Emerging from the depths of the ocean, an azure creature breached the surface, shimmering in the sun's rays. A forceful spray of mist shot towards the sky and Zossie squealed at this unfamiliar spectacle.

"A wailord, if I'm not mistaken." Dulse looked to Sol for approval of his comment, struggling to keep Zossie from bounding over the rails.

"They tend to live a little further out, but yeah. As long as it doesn't end up stranded on the beach, it should be fine," Sol replied. It appeared Dulse had forgotten their quarrel over Piper joining the ultraspace mission, or decided to drop the matter entirely. Either way, Sol was glad they weren't arguing anymore. It was hard to work with a colleague and simultaneously be on uneasy terms with them.

"When I get my first pokémon, I want it to be as big as a wailord," Zossie declared.

"We don't have any of those in Ultra Megalopolis," Dulse reminded her.

"Then I'll just move here!" Zossie met Dulse's disapproving gaze with a cheeky grin. With the sun low on the horizon, and the sky painting the ocean various hues of marigold and peach, it was as if nothing was wrong. The wind swept up Zossie's braid, playfully asking her to dance along the waves, and toyed with Sol's hair, beckoning him to stay a while. With the glowing sunshine smiling down on Dulse's face, it was so easy to forget the chaos of the world they had left behind.

* * *

The Aether speedboat made it back to Paradise just two hours before curfew: every night at eleven o'clock sharp, the docks sealed shut via large iron gates for security concerns. Security had become a top priority of the foundation ever since the president's daughter ran away from home. As a result, Sol found himself scanning his ID card to nearly every room he entered, just like all other employees, and was on speaking terms with the Aether guards who had been appointed a mere three months ago. Nearly everyone knew the guards, although no one was sure what they looked like behind their visors of steel.

The boat drifted into the docks, settling snugly into its proper spot like a child curling up for bed, then powered down as Sol departed with his intergalactic friends.

The dorms were on the main floor, a short walk away from the entrance building but certainly much closer than the Aether Mansion. The latter edifice reminded Sol of his own home, but somehow the dorms were much cozier.

"Where's Colress?" Zossie yawned.

"Probably working back at the lab." Dulse tucked his arm around the small girl, who leaned into his shoulder. "We should ideally show him the results of the day's research before we go to sleep."

"You think he'll be up at this hour?"

"He's _always_ up at this hour. He hardly ever gives himself breaks, you know."

Sure enough, when the trio entered Colress's lab, they found him sitting beside a paper behemoth, desperately drinking the last drips of his coffee in an attempt to stay awake. His hand trembled as he filled out each paper, most likely on the brink of collapsing. The light glinting from Colress's glasses served only to highlight the sunken shadows beneath his eyes. With a weary smile, the scientist invited them further into the lab.

"Good day off?"

"Pardon?" Dulse questioned Colress.

"I asked if you had a good day off. More specifically, a productive day off."

"Sure did, doc!" Zossie piped. "We got some fresh readings off Melemele, and Dulse has got this whole recruitment plan—"

"Does he?" Colress cut Zossie's tired rambling short. "One step at a time. We haven't even announced the ultra space initiative to the public yet."

"We know," Dulse grumbled. Sol gave him a sympathetic glance. Ever since Dulse and Zossie had dropped in to the Aether Foundation, the elder insisted to Madame President that if they had the full support of Alola, it might be easier to defeat the Blinding One and return home safely. President Lusamine, ever-so-cautious about the image the Aether brand projected, overlooked his idea in favor of waiting a couple months until they had a stronger plan. Three months later, and nothing had been done.

"If it makes you feel any better, I finally got an appointment with Madame, uh, President, and Branch Chief Faba." Colress pushed his falling glasses back to the bridge of his nose. "If all goes well, we'll finally obtain a permit to access the project Faba dropped years ago."

" _The_ project?"

"Yes, Sol. _The_ project, provided Lusamine grants us a permit."

"What's that?" Zossie shot Dulse a nervous glance, twirling her auburn braid between her fingers. Her expression meant little to Sol, but it probably meant the world to Dulse, who nodded warily.

"Faba launched an experiment years ago, back when Lusamine's husband was still around," Colress explained, a twinkling light glowing in his pale gold eyes. "The goal was to create a weapon strong enough to take down an ultra beast."

"The Blinding One is no ultra beast," Dulse remarked sharply. "Necrozma has more strength than any of our ultra beasts could handle."

"I've taken that into consideration. The plan is to modify Faba's work, but that can only be done once we obtain the permit."

"And if it's a weapon, then we'll be...killing the Blinding One?" Zossie bit her lower lip, obviously disturbed by the thought of murder.

"It doesn't matter," Dulse said sharply. "Besides, isn't that what you _wanted_?"

"Not necessarily, dear," Colress replied, ignoring Dulse in favor of comforting Zossie. "There are far more solutions in the universe. As of now, the question remains: Which one do we use? And then, how will we develop them?"

"We're running out of time," Dulse interjected. "Our city in ultra space only has four months before Necrozma—I mean the Blinding One—breaks from its prison and hungers for the light of other dimensions. There's no way we can develop a solution in less than four months, much less harness it. The costs, the time, the effort—"

"Perhaps," Colress interrupted, "but you forget a simple fact. Madame President is my cousin and dear friend. With my support—and hers—the ultra space initiative is the Aether Foundation's number one priority."

"I don't think—"

"Dulse, if you have an issue with our schedule, you can speak to me later."

"Actually, Mr. Colress, I'd like to speak a little more with you too," Zossie added shyly. Sol shifted nervously, glancing between her and Dulse. Zossie brimmed with curiousity and anxiousness, but Dulse prickled with impatience, volatile.

"Fine." Colress let out a drawn-out sigh. "Now, scientists, I expect you to be well-dressed, awake, and polished, punctually, by 6 A.M. Sol, I'll see you tomorrow. Dulse and Zossie, you may speak with me now."

Sol shook his head, watching Dulse and Zossie disappear behind the lab door as he left. He would be going up, then stroll through the entrance building and take a brisk walk to the dorm rooms. Despite Aether Paradise's intimidating design, it really became rather small once Sol had learned all the pathways and possible room numbers.

A haunting silence swept over the entrance building, an unfortunate companion for the thoughts Sol mulled over. Despite having worked with Dulse and Zossie for three months, he didn't know nearly enough about their past lives.

The pair had first arrived at the Aether Foundation, emerging from what Dulse called an "ultra wormhole." Back then, Sol had only been a conservatory worker, assigned to the simple task of manicuring Aether's gardens. He had tended to a cluster of pecha berries, trimming boughs of bushes until each one looked indentical, immaculate. When he was finally satified with his work, he stood to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and tilted his head to admire the glassy dome of Paradise.

But high above, maybe fifteen feet off the ground, a stretch of air rippled intermittently—certainly not from Aether's programmed air system, which hardly ever produced strong winds, and never winds that stood in place. The other workers scanned the anomaly, muttering suggestions of what it could be. A glitch in the system? An engineering peculiarity?

But one of them knew better.

" _GET BACK!"_ It was an older worker, one who had clearly seen this before. His eyes trembled with terror as he pushed back the younger workers, slamming an alarm button on the side of the wall. Sirens cried, wailing as the patch of air began to roar, splitting into something Sol had never witnessed.

The rippling stretch morphed into a discord of light, blues clashing on whites clashing on purples. As the light extended, Sol realized it was taking on the shape of a tunnel, elongating until it was large enough to fit a doorway. Each time the stretch expanded spontaneously, a cacophany racked Aether's halls, the sound of space being ripped in half.

" _What are you doing, boy?"_ The same older worker lifted Sol from the garden, wrenching him away from the conservatory. _"You're gonna get yourself killed!"_ Sol stumbled back, leaving his equipment, but couldn't look away as the vortex roared, growing wider and wider.

And then, it stopped.

The roar diminished to a hiss, the light faded to a glow, and the vortex was stable. Two solid figures seemed to creep through the tunnel, approaching the opening with cautious steps. They were human, or humanoid—Sol could tell that much—one much smaller than the other, still a child. With the conservatory empty, and the vortex high above the ground, the taller dropped first, groaning as his feet hit the ground.

"Well I'll be," the older worker mumured, no longer needing to shout above the din. "If only Mohn were alive to see this."

Sol whipped his head around. Mohn Aether, husband of the current President Lusamine Aether, had ran several top-secret experiments in the depths of the basment's labs, until one experiment swept him all away. Had this been what he was studying?

" _Jump!"_ The foreign figure yelled, beckoning his much smaller friend to the ground. Sol couldn't see them too well from where he stood, but they both appeared to wear shell-like armor, steel blue and white, with helmets of the same color scheme. A uniform. The younger figure looked nervously behind her, as if she wished she could retreat into the depths of the vortex. _"Zossie, just do it! The wormhole will close soon, and it'll take you with it!"_

The small figure launched herself out of the vortex and crashed into the taller one's arms, just before the vortex began to howl again. In mere seconds the wormhole shrunk, diminishing into nothing with no evidence that it had appeared at all—except for the two weary travellers, and the completely evacuated conservatory. Pokémon cried in the arms of the workers, while some rushed to check on their friends in babbling streams that flowed in the gardens. Luckily, the wormhole hadn't interrupted any underwater creatures, save for startling them.

"What do we do?" Sol whispered to the older man as the two travellers approached. Employees whispered and some even sobbed, still in shock, but no one moved to do anything.

"We...we do what we can. Halt!" the older worker barked to the travellers. "State your name and purpose!"

The taller of the two released the younger from his arms, allowing her to stand on her own. "I am Dulse, and this is Zossie. We come to plead the help of your people, for our world is in great danger." They both removed their helmets to reveal blue-toned complexions, clammy with sweat, and anxiet-ridden eyes. Though they had only appeared moments ago, the urgency in Dulse's voice compelled Sol to believe they were telling the truth. Their world was in danger, their people were in danger, and somehow, over time, there would be a mission to voyage across dimensions to save their darkened world. Or at least, that's what Sol was able to comprehend over the next three months that he worked with them.

Hopefully he would stay behind the scenes for that part of the job.

The remaining walk to the dormitories was mostly quiet save for the sound of the receptionists tapping away at their keyboards and a pair of shoes clicking against the tile floor. The lights were only partially on, since hardly anyone passed through this section while Aether Paradise began to shut down. In around an hour, all the lights would turn off and the island would be asleep.

The hollow thud of heels clicking the ground grew louder, resounding in the hall. Sol turned his head over his shoulder, expecting to see Madame President inspecting the main building. Instead he saw the much less appealing sight of Branch Chief Faba, a man who seemed to diminish his own presence despite the weight of his honorable title.

If Sol had to describe Faba as a food, he would've chosen a straggly, wimpy green bean. Faba was the kind of produce that got thrown out before it even reached the market—but somehow he had managed to scramble up the food chain and attain the position of Branch Chief, a decision Sol didn't necessarily agree with.

With his stringy blonde beard and receding hairline, Faba slouched his way over to Sol, sneering through his glinting green glasses.

 _Here we go again._

"If it isn't Sol Mahi'ai, son of Carmen Mahi'ai, the second wealthiest woman in Alola who paid her offspring's way into the Foundation. You don't suppose your mother spent millions to hear about you sneaking out after curfew, do you?"

"Curfew is in two hours, Faba," Sol reminded the older man gently, struggling to suppress the urge to snap at him.

"Tch! That's _Branch Chief_ Faba to you. I expected someone of your status to be more mannerly—but it remains all children are the same. Perhaps if Madame President had put you under my care, you would have learned to respect your superiors," Faba rambled, unaware that Sol had tuned him out long before. "But alas, she assigned you to Colress… her own cousin. Certainly, some would see it as nepotism and bribery, to train the son of a donor with her own family. But not I! No, I understand Madame placed you with Colress because there are no lesser scientists at the Foundation for you to learn from…" He paused, as though he expected a heated retort from Sol. "Then do you agree?"

"Sure," Sol lied, causing Faba to flinch. The older scientist scanned him suspiciously.

"Ah. I know what Colress is after."

"What?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know, boy. I spent years of research amongst the best scientists in history, only for you children to hope it falls into your hands. Well, no matter. There is no way any of you will be able to tame the beast killer—she is much too wild for your fragile minds."

 _The beast killer isn't just a weapon— it's a living thing?_ "I'm sure," Sol reassured the rambling man, careful not to incite him any further. It had always been like this, although his mother said Lusamine told her stories of days when Faba was gentler, more understanding. Days of when Madame President's husband, and Faba's best friend, was still alive.

"You remember that, boy," Faba warned him, waggling one thin finger so violently Sol thought it might fly off his hand. "None of you are strong enough to comprehend the reckless beauty of the beast killer. I suggest you ponder that in your dreams."

Sol winced. All of Faba's verbal attacks aimed towards Sol's physical strength. If Faba meant what he said, it sounded like Colress would need a permit in order to operate the beast and prove his strength. Colress would have no problem controlling the monster, but the others? Dulse was their next best choice, and he had caught his first pokémon a week ago.

As Faba lurked away, Zossie bound forward with Dulse at her side.

"Whatcha doing? I thought you left before we did!"

"I am," Sol replied gently. "I just got a little held up."

"Faba." Dulse scowled. "Men in Ultra Megalopolis would never style their facial hair that way. He looks like he washes his rattata of a goatee by flushing it in a toilet." Sol wanted to laugh, but something about his encounter with Faba made him feel sick to his stomach. "And he does not willingly advocate for the ultraspace project. I wonder if he has something else up his sleeve…"

"I wouldn't be so suspicious, Dulse." The trio stepped into the crisp night air, heading towards the dormitories. "Despite his rambling, I think he's more loyal to Lusamine than anyone in the world." Partially because he had no one else, and because Lusamine continued to employ him.

"I dunno, Sol," Zossie said doubtfully. "He really hates us. Maybe it's because we're from a different world."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Sol embraced the smaller girl reassuringly, although he feared she had some reason. Dulse and Zossie emerged from the very world Faba and Madame President's husband failed to find, and both were considerably more knowledgeable in their own realm (naturally) than Faba ever had been. Jealousy seemed to run deep in the old scientist's veins...

And beyond that, there was Sol's wealth. Faba dearly hated him for having entered the Aether Foundation through his mother's checks, but Sol couldn't help that his mother was also the board chair of the institution. Colress had also entered through a family connection—his cousin, Lusamine. Between the four of them and their backgrounds, it was no wonder Faba loathed them all.

 _We have to tame that beast killer._ Whether out of spite, or from desire, they would find a way.

* * *

 **A (small!) author's note:**

 **The public reponses to reviews will be for guest reviews only now. Have a lovely day!**


	5. Chapter 5

Sol often joked Piper was his knight in shining armor, a dashing heroine who saved him from the depths of social isolation in his wary days at Striaton Academy.

But Piper knew it was the other way around.

Had Sol not shown up in the halls, his head drooping as he tended to his pitiful rockruff, Piper might have never stopped to reach out to him. She would have gone back to the student housing as usual, to bury herself in theory and technical battle textbooks, never knowing what it felt like to make time for something other than her grades.

Studying was time consuming. Studying was tedious. Most of all, studying was lonely. And despite managing to maintain a straight A average alongside a stellar resume chock-full of community service and extracurricular activities, Piper had felt herself sink under the weight of the competition despite the illusion that she was floating at the top. There were so many talented students at Striaton—all isolated from the present, and focused on the future.

Of course, the urge to check her class ranking still fluttered at the back of her mind. Her battle against Hau had left her with the stunning aftertaste of a draw—at most, that would have been an A minus at the academy. Yet somehow she was still intrigued at the thought of trying the island challenge with him at her side. It could be another opportunity to prove her worth, that she was number one—

"The stars look so much better than they do back home. Don't you think, Pipes?" The smooth timbre of her mom's voice floated in the cool air, drifting on the lazy breezes which chased the warmth leftover from the afternoon. Above, stars smattered the inky sky like a splatter painting. They seemed to wink down on Piper, twinkling with otherworldly brilliance.

"I guess so." Living in Driftveil had never provided much opportunity for stargazing, not with the heavy clouds nor the smog from exhaling factories. Even Striaton itself offered few glances at a pure night sky. But if you snuck out of the dormitories past curfew, the "dreamyard"—that's what the locals called it—presented an abandoned research facility where the academy students used to scramble up to get a faint glimpse at the Ursaring Major slumbering in the depths of the night.

Here, even with the skies clearer than her mind, Piper felt a longing pang in her gut. The urge to return home.

"You're expecting someone, right?" Piper's mom brushed the family's liepard with soft, painstaking strokes. "It's quite late to be adventuring." Velvet purred in agreement, swishing her pointed tail.

"Mmhm." Piper scanned the area, tapping her feet against the steps of the porch. "I'm wide awake. More awake than I was this morning, anyway."

"I know you're waiting for the professor's assistant, but you should take it easy today, okay?" Her mom set the brush between them, much to Velvet's dismay. The sleek feline nudged at the brush repeatedly, not caring that Piper's mom ignored her resiliently. "I don't want you thinking too much."

"You don't want me to think?" Piper joked, although she knew what her mom meant.

"Hon, you're a smart girl. But you know you get wrapped up in your thoughts sometimes. That's exactly why we moved out here. I was hoping you'd get a break from your stress."

 _She's talking about school. About battling, studying…_

"I can't be stressed by something I love." The words themselves felt like lies, but flowed smoothly out of Piper's mouth nonetheless. Her years of hard work, dedication and diligence in school _had_ to come from passion. For a couple years, it had earned her the spot of top student in her grade.

Piper knew exactly what her mother had been trying to achieve in moving to Alola. She wanted a reset for Piper, a new start. In many ways, contacting Kukui and successfully securing a position of his assistant felt like being the top student. In many others, it was like starting from square one.

An island challenge could rebuild her status as a battler.

"I know you love battling... but sometimes it seems like you just want to win for the sake of winning. You have make sure your whole heart is in it," her mom explained, a shadow of frustration crossing her face. "And that's why I talked to Professor Kukui before we moved. I explained your situation, and well, we both agreed the solution was for you to try the island challenge."

"You talked to Kukui before I did?"

"Of course. How else did you think you landed that internship? My point is, I want you to do well on your island challenge. But you should be aware that it's a bit different from how we do things back in Unova."

"How so?"

"Challenging in some ways, but… relaxed in others."

"So all the more easy to beat, then."

"Oh, hon. You'll see." Her mom sighed, then smiled. "Is that your friend over there?"

Piper's mom moved towards Lillie, who timidly walked up the driveway to the porch. Her white sundress billowed in the breeze as she held her bag close. It rustled, presumably holding an anxious Nebby.

"Good evening, Mrs…"

"Mrs. Moon. You must be one of Piper's new friends!"

"Oh, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you." With her head bowed, Lillie turned to Piper. "I, um, didn't know if you got my text message."

Piper glanced at her phone, lit with the messages telling her to wait outside. "Yeah, I got it. What's up, Lillie?"

"Oh…um…" Lillie clutched at the edges of her sundress. "The professor said, 'Hey there, Lillie! Bring me that great new trainer. Woo!'" It was dark outside, but Piper could've sworn she saw the faintest echo of a blush rising on the girl's pale complexion.

 _Understandable. I don't think_ I _could imitate Professor Kukui without becoming embarrassed!_

"So I'm here to show you the way to his pokémon lab, if you'll come with me," Lillie added. "It's um…it's this way. You know, if your mother doesn't mind you staying out at night."

"Piper's quite the battler, but make sure you look after her!" Piper's mom smiled kindly at Lillie. From the awkward laughter of the latter, Piper could tell they both knew that if anything happened, she would be the one to take care of both of them. "Be safe, you two."

"I'll be back before ten," Piper promised, following Lillie down the driveway. Nothing suspicious could possibility happen in the short distance between her house and the professor's place.

The sun had set nearly an hour ago, around seven. Yet somehow Piper could still see, thanks to a glowing light emanating from Lillie's bag.

"Nebby glows in the dark sometimes." Lillie unzipped the bag to present her eager pokémon, who leapt into the nighttime air, proudly demonstrating its soft fluorescent glow. "It's quite helpful for walks in the evening."

"I wish Whimsy was that convenient." Piper hopped over some rogue rocks, crossing over into the long stalks of grass which tickled her ankles, blowing languidly in the wind. "I guess a stun spore attack would also glow in the dark, but I don't think that's quite the same."

"Oh, goodness. You did say something about Whimsy not taking other pokémon's company too well, didn't you? What will happen to your new grubbin?"

"Whimsy might have to stay in her pokéball while I train Tesla. I'm not sure how else they'd get along."

"Pardon—" Lillie blushed, staring at the grass—"I know I'm not a trainer like you or Hau, but I find the chances of you beating the island challenge with a disconnected team highly unlikely."

"Don't apologize; you're right." Piper slipped her hands into her pockets, staring up at the darkened sky. "It would be a _lot_ easier if Whimsy would just come around. I had a different second pokémon once, but once I caught it I immediately gave it to Sol. He needed it more than I did."

"May I ask why?"

"His first pokémon can't battle," Piper explained. "It's a rockruff. A shiny one, too—specially bred for the color, but also born with several health defects due to inbreeding. He has very weak lungs, so it's not like he can battle. But he's receiving treatments weekly from the Aether Paradise nurses, so hopefully it'll increase his oxygen intake."

"Aether...Aether Paradise?"

"Yeah, that's where Sol works. He left to go back around the time that the festival ended. I don't understand why he works there—science isn't really his thing. But don't tell him I told you that, though," Piper joked.

"I…see." Lillie tucked a loose strand of platinum hair behind her ear, staring where the grass met the edge of the sand. Piper's friendly quip hadn't seemed to resonate with her. It was tough figuring Lillie out, especially when she didn't like battling, Piper's one area of expertise. "Well, we're here!"

Kukui's lab rested on rolling sand, underneath the glinting moonlight. Warm lamps shone through the windows, casting a soft yellow glow on the wooden plank deck leading to his front door, and the piercing barks of his rockruff could be heard from meters away.

Lillie twisted a key inside the lock embedded in the front door, pushing it forward until golden light flooded the worn out doormat. Piper held the door for her, taking in the unsightly chaos that was Kukui's kitchen.

"Yeah, Rockruff!" the professor cheered, "Use your best tackle attack!" The brown canine complied, charging into the significantly larger man. Kukui fell back, landing on the paved tile floor, a broad grimace across his face. Lillie cleared her throat anxiously.

"Lillie! I didn't see you two there!" Kukui clutched his stomach, where Rockruff had toppled into him. "Man, you and Piper are so quiet, huh?"

"You think so?" Piper entered the kitchen cautiously, avoiding the scattered plush toys strewn across the floor. Evidently meant for Rockruff, they lay well-worn on the floor, happily chewed and shredded.

"Professor, I wish you'd be gentler with your lab coat." Lillie narrowed her eyes, pointing to a dilapidated corner of fabric. "Honestly, I can only darn your clothes so much."

Professor Kukui nodded empathetically, recalling Rockruff back into his pokéball. "I know, Lil. I'll probably buy a new one this week. Rockruff's made some good work on my coat, yeah." With a wave of his sun-darkened hand, Kukui beckoned them to move into the kitchen. Hau sat on a bean bag, waving enthusiastically at the sight of their arrival.

"Hau?"

"Piper, right? You ever been here before?" Hau slumped back into the bean bag, finding a comfortable way to curl up.

"Me? Uh, once. Yesterday before I went to the ruins. What about you?"

"All the time. Tutu and the professor know each other real well. My Tutu did mentor him, after all. But I've never showed up at the lab for pokémon training until now!" It took Piper a couple seconds to connect that when Hau said Tutu, he meant his grandfather Hala.

"Is that what we're doing?"

"Yes. More specifically, the professor hopes to entice you into collecting data for his research." Lillie spoke dryly, choosing to stand in her sundress rather than sit on the cluttered floor. The professor laughed, examining a pile of jumbled gadgets on his kitchen island.

"Lillie's right—I was hoping you kids would be able to lend me a hand or two while you're out on your journeys. I'll accompany you some parts of the way, but if we all pitch in and gather info, we may be able to grab some facts quicker than I planned!"

"What's that?" Piper asked, gesturing to the heap of technology.

"It's our pokédexes!"

"These… are pokédexes?" The odd, red shapes on the kitchen island had screens, but also had two protruding units resembling arms. If Piper hadn't known better, she would have thought they were artificial pokémon.

Professor Kukui held one of them up. "Look at these beauties! See this? This is a prototype for a new pokédex called the Rotomdex, but we have yet to find a rotom willing to occupy it."

"Why would you need a rotom to occupy a pokédex?" Hau peered closer at the gadget.

"To keep you company on your journey! This kind of pokédex will be especially helpful to new trainers who have trouble with directions. The rotom acts as a GPS to take them to the next location, and does everything a regular dex does—except it talks all on its own!"

"But you don't have any working ones yet?"

"Unfortunately, we have yet to capture a willing rotom. Hopefully that'll change soon, but for now all I can give you is a regular boring pokédex." Kukui passed out standard rectangular dexes to both trainers. Hau seemed unaffected by the professor's discouraging news and marveled at his new acquisition.

"It's kind of a shame that we don't have any cooperative rotom," Piper said wistfully. "Maybe we can catch some along the way. I'd love to have a talking companion on my journey." Hau shot her a bewildered glance.

"Then what am I?"

"Sorry, Hau." Piper blurted, but Hau shook his head in forgiveness.

"Don't worry about it, I'm only kidding. I'd love to have a sentient encyclopedia too." Piper smiled sheepishly in relief. Hau really was as friendly as he appeared.

"Then you're lucky to have Lillie—she's read almost every book at the lab." Kukui's remark brought a shy blush creeping to Lillie's face. "But the two of you are gonna need more than just theoretical knowledge on the battlefield. Yeah, the two of you need some practical application!"

"Like a battle?" Hau suggested.

"Of course, but you two already did pretty well with that today! I'm talking about catching, Hau. I know you brought that grubbin to the battlefield, Piper, but you still didn't catch her yourself, did you? Now is the perfect time to practice!"

"At seven thirty when there's no light outside?"

"Sure. Teaches you how to capture a pokémon even in difficult circumstances."

"C-could stay inside, Professor? I don't think I'll be of much use out in the field…"

"Nonsense, Lillie! We'd be honored if you could help us record some data while we catch pokémon."

"If you say so…" Lillie followed the professor, who led them all back to the front door. Before exiting, she turned her back on him to whisper a couple of words to Hau and Piper: "Please be alert in the fields. We don't want anyone getting hurt this late at night."

* * *

The long tendrils of grass which had once tickled her calves in the wind seemed sharper, threatening to etch into Piper's legs with blades no thicker than a sheet of paper. But Kukui insisted the best spots to hunt down pokémon consisted of tall grass and rippling water, so Piper trekked behind him while trying to lift her legs as high above the grass as possible when she stepped.

"Tutu said I have to be home by nine," Hau whispered, shivering. Piper snorted.

"Can you catch a pokémon in half an hour?" The sun had departed long before, yet somehow her watch only read eight-o-clock. For Hau to get home in time, he would have to run.

"Maybe if you help." The pair stopped behind Lillie, who stopped behind Kukui, who stopped to focus his gaze on a rustling patch in the grass ahead.

"There," he whispered, his voice crisp and strong even when lowered, "scan that area, Lillie." The girl fished a pokédex from her bag, careful to prevent Nebby from escaping, and activated the device. The pokédex whirred as the electric screen came to life, casting a harsh blue light in the dark clearing. It beeped twice, bringing up a display of a small figure to its glowing screen.

"Pikipek, the woodpecker pokémon," the machine declared. "Normal-flying type. This pokémon is the pre-evolved form of trumbeak. The seeds it feeds on become ammunition for its attacks. Would you like to hear details on this specific specimen?"

Lillie tapped a button on the pokédex, prompting it to speak more. "This pikipek is female and knows the moves peck and growl. More information can be acquired on this particular specimen by capturing it."

"Wait," Hau interrupted. "We have to catch the pokémon to learn everything about it?"

"Sure," Kukui explained. "That's partially why I'd like for you two to go on the island challenge. The longer you spend with a pokémon, the more you'll know about it and we can register that knowledge in the pokédex."

"Pardon me, but are we interested in capturing the pikipek?" Lillie glanced back at the two trainers.

" _I_ am," Hau said. Piper winced—she _also_ wanted that pikipek. While weak, pikipek's evolutions did well in the battles she watched online. But Hau had already thrown his pokéball, exposing Aria the popplio in the middle of the field. "Use pound!"

Aria waddled awkwardly through the grass, but the pikipek had already taken notice of the clumsy seal. With a quick beat of its wings, the pikipek shot into the air, disappearing into the night sky.

"Crap!" Hau exclaimed. "How can I catch a pokémon if we can't even get close to it?"

"I could stun it," Piper said, then immediately regretted her offer. Whimsy was still sitting in her pokéball, her anger stewing each moment Piper left her there. There could be other ways to stun a pokémon other than stun spore, of course. They could throw rocks at it. They could chase the crap out of it until it got tired. Professor Kukui could temporarily blind it with a dazzling smile.

"That's brilliant!" Kukui said. Piper's heart sank when she realized he meant the stun spore option, not the throwing rocks option. She had great aim. "Are you sure Whimsy is willing to cooperate, though?"

"I think?"

"Guys, we've got to be much quieter," Lillie hissed. "I found something!" She pointed the pokédex to a sandy clearing, where clouds of dust flew up next to a scurrying silhouette.

"Pichu, the tiny mouse pokémon," the device buzzed. "Electric-type. This pokémon is the pre-evolved form of pikachu. Although playful, if this pokémon does not concentrate, it could unintentionally let some electricity loose. Would you like to hear details on this specific specimen?"

"Yes!" Hau whisper-shouted.

"This pichu is male and knows the moves thunder shock and charm. More information can be acquired on this particular specimen by capturing it."

"I want that one," Hau declared, pointing Aria in the pichu's direction.

"Why? It's only going to evolve into a pikachu," Piper argued. "Isn't there anything better around?"

"Girl, are you crazy? Pikachu around here evolve into Alolan Raichu. Those guys make great surf buddies!"

Aria waddled up to the pichu, spitting a jet of water from the side. The tiny pokémon yelped, a frown building up in its adorable face as it began to glow.

"Bad move, Aria," Hau warned. The pichu shrieked, discharging electric shocks from the pink pouches in its cheeks, hurtling across the grass. The dark fields became illuminated as pichu and Aria made contact, Aria wailing as the smaller pokémon sank its charged fangs into her blue coat. While the bite wasn't enough to draw blood, it was painful enough for Aria to limp backwards, desperately trying to free herself. Piper heard Lillie gulp in fear, and she didn't blame her.

"Whimsy, let's go!" Piper said without thinking. The cottonee emerged into the air, casting a petty glance at her trainer. "Use stun spore!" Whimsy had the nerve to roll her amber eyes before dishing out the measliest stun spore Piper had seen in their history of training. Three seeds fell on pichu, sliding off its yellow body and into the grass. "Crap!"

"You can't paralyze electric-type pokémon!" Kukui reminded her. Piper wanted to slap herself. Of _course_ stun spore wouldn't work on pichu. That was one of the first basic lessons everyone learned in pokémon school.

"I've got this!" Hau assured her. "Aria, use pound!" Snarling, Aria whipped around, slapping pichu in the face. The pichu toppled over, rolling around in the dust before it could regain its balance. Nonetheless it sprung up from the dirt and sparks flew from its pink cheeks.

"Whimsy, use razor leaf!" The cotton pokémon puffed herself up haughtily, only to deliver a single leaf that drifted tranquilly to the ground. "What's going on? I need you to cooperate!" Whimsy nodded. Her cotton glowed, potent with energy as she charged up for the next attack. With a fierce cry, Whimsy shot a second leaf straight into the ground.

" _Whimsy!"_

"Aria, pound again!" The seal barked, flipping left and right as the pichu darted underneath her attacks. The glow in its cheeks grew brighter, signaling the buildup of another thunder shock.

"Whimsy, use mega drain!" Piper cried desperately, but the cotton pokémon turned her back, exuding a snarky disposition from all angles. She made no moves, floating indifferently in the air as Aria and pichu brawled below.

"Piper, I don't think Whimsy's going to contribute much," Lillie said matter-of-factly. "It might be best to return her."

"I can't give up on her," Piper protested. "There's no way she wouldn't listen to me."

"Then what's she doing now?" The professor put a firm hand on Piper's shoulder. "I think Hau's got this one covered." Reluctantly, Piper withdrew Whimsy from the battle.

"Go, pokéball!" Hau tossed a capsule at the pichu, who was now worn and bruised from Aria's battering. Begrudgingly, the spunky creature allowed itself to be absorbed in light. The capsule shook once, twice, three times, then _pinged_ brightly as it locked shut. The capture was a success.

"Hell yeah!" Hau cheered, flaunting his newly-filled pokéball. "We did it, Aria!" Aria warbled ecstatically, clapping her flippers with glee. Piper smiled, albeit she felt something deeper stirring inside of her. How was it possible a new trainer could retain better control over his pokémon than she, someone who had owned Whimsy for years?

"Are you okay?" Lillie cast Piper a worried glance. "You must be so tired. We should get you back home."

Suddenly, Piper felt the world spin above her head. The stars blurred, their milky-white brilliance fading as they melted into one another, racing across the ink dark sky. She really was tired.

If there was anything she had learned in her two days in Alola, it was that things were never as they really seemed. Encountering Lillie on the bridge, a god swooping in to save them, the surprise appearance of Tesla in battle…and Whimsy's disobedience. Everything was so strange here, that it was hard to tell if it was for the better, or worse.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Here's a slightly late chapter since I was travelling to California over the weekend! Updates will most likely be moved to Mondays from now on just for the sake of convenience ;) And on that note, I won't be updating a chapter during winter break (which runs until the second week of January). The first half of the school year has been tough and challenging, so I'll be taking a well-deserved rest during those two weeks. Happy holidays!**


	6. Chapter 6

Sol arrived early at the lab per Colress's request to find the older scientist fidgeting with a tie neatly twisted around the collar of his shirt. Sol too, wore a button-down shirt tucked into navy slacks, though he had forgotten to add a tie to his ensemble. He had polished his shoes so vigorously that from far away, they twinkled like little carbink. At least, that's what he hoped.

Dulse had traded his typical armor for the same stuffy business wear, and Zossie dressed in a pale yellow sundress that emanated every ounce of her energetic being. As the youngest, she could get away with a more vibrant outfit. But it was of "utmost importance" (Colress's words) that they dress well for this business meeting, especially for Madame President. Lusamine loved presentation, which they had all come to learn well in the past few months.

"I'm tired," Zossie yawned, as Colress led them through the halls. Dulse slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it gently.

"As long as you don't fall asleep in front of the President, we'll be fine."

"It might take more than that to impress Lusamine." Colress adjusted his tie again, then flicked his wrist. The time on his smart-watch read 8:09. "The meeting starts in six minutes, and we should be there in three. God, why does the Aether Foundation have to be so large?"

Sol agreed with him as they trekked through the main building. Lower-level employees paid no mind to them, walking past or chattering vibrantly amongst themselves. While originally, Dulse and Zossie drew attention to themselves with their oddball outfits and personalities, the employees became familiar with them quickly and greeted them from time to time.

Colress swiped his ID in the elevator, pressing a level that descended past even the labs in the basement: the Vault level.

"Ooooh," Zossie said. "So we're doing some real fancy work today?"

Colress nodded, amused. "The Vault level is reserved for the most important scientists of the Aether Foundation. Mohn Aether used to work down here quite a bit. Now that he's gone, it doesn't serve much purpose except to house Faba's old projects."

"If it's for important scientists, why don't you work down here?" Zossie asked.

"Hush, Zossie," Dulse said, but Colress laughed.

"There's an age restriction, silly. Some of Faba's experiments are quite…horrendous, and much too disgusting for a 12-year-old to see."

"I _like_ disgusting! I had three vegetables last night for dinner!"

Dulse snorted. "I don't think that's quite what he meant."

Sol shuddered as the elevator reached the lowest floor. He had never visited the Vault, but he had heard enough from his coworkers to know that it was an unpleasant journey. Of course, most projects done in the Vault were kept confidential, but that didn't stop employees from spreading trivial gossip. Someone had told him the Vault had torture equipment in the farthest room, something Sol tried to brush away from his mind.

 _Colress would never take us anywhere unsafe._ Another colleague had mentioned the Vault was where Lusamine had lost her husband to a wormhole like the one Zossie and Dulse arrived in. That, Sol could believe.

The group came to a sudden halt as Colress gestured to the thick, stainless steel wall in front of them.

"Here we are."

"You're kidding," Sol said, but to his surprise, Colress merely dialed a code on the side of the wall, causing it to split vertically in half and reveal another layer just as thick. Colress typed a second code into the keypad, watching the wall split horizontally this time. A series of interlocking patterns formed on its surface, removed once Colress pressed a button to rearrange them. Just when Sol thought the expedition to open the wall would never end, a tremendous maze of locks in the shape of gears presented themselves in the fourth layer, upon which Colress pressed his fingerprint to the keypad, and slowly, each lock began to whir. The largest clacked open first, the smaller ones groaning in protest as one by one, they unlocked to reveal a single slim door leading to the conference room.

"Show-off," Zossie teased.

"What can I say?" Colress replied in a false lofty air. If Sol had known the scientist any less, he would've assumed Colress's pretentious tone to be serious, but they had been around each other long enough to know Colress was almost always joking.

Madame President waited inside the conference room with Faba at her side. If Faba was an ugly duckling, his hideousness only magnified the beauty of the Aether Foundation's President (sometimes, Sol wondered if that was how he got appointed to branch chief). President Lusamine was a beautiful woman: her hair shades of platinum and honey, styled by her own hands, which seemed to never touch anything but perfection itself. Her nails were manicured a shade of rich ruby red, and her toenails, peeking out of creamy white stilettos, were painted to match.

In short, Lusamine Aether was the epitome of perfection.

"It's good to see you, Colress," the president purred, inviting them to sit down. "Would you like anything to drink? I'm sure Faba could fetch us some coffee, tea, anything you like."

"As much as we'd all like to see Faba doing an intern's work, I'd rather skip the formalities." Colress cracked a cheeky grin as Faba muttered to himself under his breath, something about a _scumbag of a scientist_."Oh, come on, Faba, you know that was a jest."

"Colress," Lusamine said, her smile becoming tight-lipped.

"Ahem."

"So Faba and I are under the impression that you would like to access an old experiment?"

"That is correct."

"And today, we will discuss the requirements of having a permit to access said old experiment?"

"Of course."

"Then I will let Faba present to you the terms and conditions of using Type: Null." Lusamine reclined in one of the black, leather conference room chairs, allowing her colleague to speak.

With a sneer curled on his lips and a haughty gleam in his eyes, Faba stepped forward, filling Sol's heart with dread. Already, it felt as though they had entered a trap. "You see," Faba said slyly, "Madame President and I came to the conclusion that if the ultraspace mission would like to retain the care of Project Type: Null, you must be able to wield it correctly. Certainly, this seems like a reasonable request, is it not?"

Colress nodded coolly.

"Oh?" Faba seemed taken aback. "Then who, from your mission, will challenge Type: Null?"

"Challenge?"

"Yes, challenge. You did not think we'd let you walk away with my greatest creation without a proper display of strength?"

"No," Colress responded immediately. "As the eldest, most experienced member of the team, I will challenge Type: Null." Faba shifted uneasily, clutching a clipboard between his spindly hands.

"Well…well, you see, the paperwork _here_ says each member of the ultra space initiative should be able to control my old experiment, so, erm, how should I say, it would be more efficient if the weakest link challenged Type:Null, and from there we could determine whether the rest of the team was capable?"

 _Weakest link._ Though Faba hadn't said his name out loud, his eyes burned through Sol, expecting him to step forward.

"I think that's hardly necessary," Colress said, following the older scientist's gaze. "Perhaps I should go first, and then we can work out the details."

"No, no, it has to be the weakest of the group," Faba insisted. "After all, _everyone_ needs to be able to handle Type:Null. If the weakest can do it, surely all the stronger members can too. But if the weakest cannot…well, then we have some issues." Colress frowned dubiously as he looked to Lusamine for support.

"Ah. It is complex, no? But Faba has some reason." Lusamine tapped her nails on the conference room table, giving him a nonchalant shrug. Sol could see the fury and desperation in Colress's glare, but Faba was unmovable.

"I'll go." Dulse stepped forward, tossing a pokéball in his right hand. "I've only got one pokémon, but it should be enough to get the job done."

Faba chuckled nervously. "I, ah, admire your enthusiasm, but I find it implausible that _you_ are the weakest member of the team. What about—"

"It's me!" Zossie volunteered herself. But again, the scientist brushed her away.

"You, you ultra space people are highly competent, I'm sure..."

After a piercing silence, Sol gave in. "I'll tame Type:Null."

"See! The boy complies." A terrible frenzy danced in Faba's eyes as he rubbed his hands together. "Now, I should warn you, Type:Null was stowed away for good reason. Years and years ago, it ripped off the arms of one of my dearest assistants. But none of that should be a problem, it is merely a beast, and beasts fail to harbor resentment. This experiment is mindless, with no sense of thought."

"That's pleasant," Sol responded, to Faba's irritation.

"So you assume you're ready?"

Sol bit his lip, looking to Colress for an approving glance. Thin lines formed between Colress's blond brows as they creased together, but he nodded nevertheless. As Colress stared at him, Sol tried to read the hidden messages in his face. Was it _I'm rooting for you? You're prepared for this?_ No, it was a warning. _Be careful._

"Excellent!" Faba crowed, placing a spindly hand on Sol's shoulder, guiding him towards a wall. "Thankfully we have a testing room built just across from the conference room. Isn't it convenient?" With the click of a button, the wall opened to reveal the most awful room Sol had ever seen.

Empty. Blank. _Sterile._ Harsh, cheap lighting illuminated cracks in the tile floor, unlike the immaculate tiles in the upper levels. These tiles had…residue on them, dried and dark. A severe lack of furniture only emphasized the vacant, eerie atmosphere. No lab tables. No chairs. Not even equipment from past experiments. Whatever had happened in the past Vault had been removed, ripped from the roots, and covered back up with seemingly simple tiles.

"Faba, I don't think this is a good id—" Colress was cut off with a piercing glare.

"Backing out?" Colress made eye contact with Sol and Sol shook his head.

"No."

"That's 'No, _Branch Chief'_ to you." Without any further hesitation Faba shoved Sol into the barren room, pulling a capsule from his lab coat. "This is Type:Null's pokéball. The procedure will be as follows: when I close this door, you may release it into the room along with one of your own pokémon to defend yourself. We will be watching you from behind a bulletproof glass wall, made to withstand the force of any type of attack. If you feel the need to drop out…give us a signal and we'll handle the rest."

Sol gulped as the door whirred shut behind him, and the wall split open to reveal a second wall, only this one was transparent and glass as Faba had said. Colress watched him with a fretful gaze, one hand on his chin. Zossie's curiosity had morphed from the excited kind to one of worry, and Dulse gave him a solemn nod of encouragement.

 _They're counting on me._ Sol's hands trembled at his sides as he felt the curvature of the cold metal capsule. _But I'm their weakest link. I have no useful pokémon. Am_ I _even useful?_

Faba knocked on the glass wall, clearly growing impatient. _No._ Sol took a deep breath. In the loop of his belt, he had something Piper had given him years ago. Untrained, hardly ever used, but it would be better than giving Rocky a shot at battling.

 _Luna, I'm counting on you._

In a flash, his only other pokémon materialized in the air, a tranquil, hovering sphere. Thin pink mist emanated from her curled snout as she bobbed up and down, deep in sleep. At the sound of Sol's call, the musharna nodded, directing a trail of pink vapor towards Sol in greeting. A familiar warmth spread through Sol as he realized he hadn't seen Luna in ages.

 _It's... been a long time, Master_.

Over time, Sol had come to learn psychic pokémon were much better at expressing their emotions than other Pokémon, to the point where it almost felt like he knew what Luna was saying. Small pulses of energy spoke louder than words. Slight hesitations in psychic waves could simulate tones and emotions. In this case, Luna's was wary.

"Don't treat me like some master," Sol scolded her. "We're friends."

Luna rotated, observing the room despite her obvious lack of sight. _Curious... this is a curious, dangerous place, is it not? Is that why you called for me instead of Rocky?_

Sol winced. He did tend to prefer Rocky over other pokémon.

 _Ah. So I am not wrong?_ At the sound of silence, Luna huffed and turned away. _Well, it does not matter. Piper caught me to serve you, and serve I must. Why are we here?_

"Luna…" Sol could barely choke out the words. Imagine being kept away in your own house for months, only to discover that when you wanted to take a walk outside there was a monster on your front porch. Sol felt miserably guilty. "We're here to tame an unclassified pokémon."

 _Tame?_ A giddy spurt of steam shot out of Luna's snout. _Then all I have to do is hypnotize it?_

"Well I…I guess so." That hadn't occurred to Sol, but it was a viable plan. Musharna had exceptional talents for putting other creatures to sleep in order to eat their dreams and sustain themselves.

 _Then I am ready. Send out the beast._

Sol gulped, glancing at the capsule in his hand. His fingers trembled on the cold metal, warm finger prints fogging up the red and white design. All they'd have to do was hypnotize it, and it would be over. Closing his eyes, he clicked the button on the pokéball, allowing a stream of light to spill onto the cold tile floor.

A perilous shriek sprang from the burst of energy, shattering the silence, and as the light dissipated, the creature revealed itself to be a monster of which Sol had never seen. Its eyes darted underneath a crudely constructed wooden helmet, splinters jutting from where a blunt axe emerged as a kind of headdress. Long claws carved into the hard floor, screeching slowly as the monster kneaded the ground with its talons. The oily fin on its rear twitched irritably, much like how a meowth would swish its tail in vehement anger. Sol examined the depths of the creature's feverish stare, still, silent, stagnant.

 _Sleep._ Luna uttered the command in a low drone, casting dark pink mist upon the monster. _Sleeeeep._ The monster's eyelids lowered slowly, its legs crumbling. Luna nodded, satisfied as the monster laid on the ground. _Now, I will feast!_

Luna rushed eagerly to its side, resting on the slumbering creature's axe-like head to absorb the dreams it produced. But as she absorbed the energy, her mist turned a violent shade of red. Her always-closed eyes jolted open with horrid intensity and she wailed, coughing up the remnants of the nightmare she had eaten.

Luna brayed, letting Sol know she could not bear to feast any longer. Sol motioned to Faba through the glass window, where the scientist scowled. Zossie cheered on the other side, pumping one fist in the air as Colress beamed proudly. But Faba shook his head. _Why?_ Sol mouthed incredulously.

"You can't just have Type:Null asleep the entire time on the mission, can you?" Faba's voice came over the loudspeakers—something Sol didn't know the room even had—a slight bitterness in his tone. "I need to see that you can defeat it. Go ahead, knock it out."

Sol looked to Luna. The effects of the hypnosis would wear off soon, especially now that Faba had decided to boost the loudspeakers to a billion decibels. _Thanks, you mangled green bean._ "We've got to hit hard and fast."

Luna released a burst of psychic energy straight at Type:Null's throat. The beast howled in agony, though Sol suspected it was more from the torment of its nightmare than Luna's attack. Luna aimed a second psybeam, but this time the beast merely groaned. The sounds of creaking metal against wood permeated the lab as it raised one talon, struggling to bring itself to its feet.

"Hypnotize it again!" Sol called, but it was already too late. Type:Null stood, wobbling but stable enough to snarl without falling over. Luna shook her snout, spraying the dark red mist at Type:Null as Sol covered his mouth and nose with one arm. Even one sniff of that mist could send him into a fit of nightmares. Type:Null knew too apparently, and cut the air with a hissing aerial ace attack. Luna gasped as it split her skin, blood dripping onto the off-white tile floor.

With Luna unable to put it to sleep, Type:Null redirected its attention to Sol, a ferocious gleam in its darkened pupils. Pain danced across its mask as it occasionally flinched, still feeling the effects of Luna's psybeam.

Luna squeezed her eyes shut.

"Are you okay?"

 _Not me…the beast._ She nudged herself towards it, curled tightly into a ball.

Sol stared back at the monster. Could they heal it? With all it had been through—not that Sol even knew half of what it had endured—he wasn't so sure. Could they befriend it? Type:Null snarled, saliva dripping from the edges of its scruffy maw. Sol wasn't sure about that either. With one terrible roar, the monster charged him, talons scraping the ground.

Sol ran.

The monster screamed and it was at his heels, grasping for his leg. The return button on the pokéball was too small to aim, too inaccurate to throw and hope that it would activate in the air. Sol scrambled for the door, knowing that by the time he shoved open the airtight door the beast would already be upon him. A blitz of light sprung from his pocket, and Rocky planted himself on the tiles before Sol, uttering a low growl.

"Rocky, no!" Sol shoved the periwinkle puppy, blocking the monster's path. The smallest whimper escaped Rocky's lips, silenced by the monster's screech. Thunderous paws beat the ground as Type:Null charged again, only to be stopped mid-leap by Luna. Paralyzed by psychic energy, all it could do was glare at Sol.

"Luna, can you take it out?" Sol said, barely noticing his own voice quivering. She gave him a lamenting stare, the pokémon equivalent of _I wish I could._ Sol cursed himself. If only he had bothered to seriously train her during his days at Striaton, instead of pleading with the admission officers to curve his final grades. If only he had taken Piper's advice, to go into the Dreamyard and study together instead of curling up in his room with Rocky at his feet and a novel in his hands. If only he had bothered to _try._

Rocky howled, limping along the floor. What Sol had interpreted of a cry of pain transformed into a cry of determination, and Rocky sank his teeth into Type:Null's rubbery fins. The monster lashed out, breaking Luna's cage of psychic energy and swatted Rocky with enough force to slam him against the wall.

 _Forfeit, forfeit,_ Luna pleaded. Sol signaled to Faba, and scrambled for the pokéball in his pocket. He threw the capsule, eyes widening in horror as Type:Null swatted it away just as before, shattering it to fragments.

"Hypnosis!" Sol's back was against the wall now. Type:Null had him cornered, panting heavily as it let out a low snarl. The door still hadn't opened—

"Sol, I am afraid it is against our protocol to open the room before threats are eliminated. Please subdue Type:Null before you give the signal."

Sol muttered something foul under his breath. Between Faba's scratchy, shrill voice and Type:Null's atrocious-smelling breath, he knew this was no way to go. "Luna, any year now."

 _I'm trying!_ Luna channeled a cloud of mist at Type:Null, floating the vapor tranquilly past. The tormented gaze in its eyes began to dim, slowly dissipating into fatigue as it crashed to the ground in a slumber. Sol let out a heavy sigh of relief. The lab room seemed hazy, almost peaceful, and certainly pinker than he remembered. With one brief breath, Sol's eyelids lowered and shadows overtook his vision.

* * *

Sol awoke to the sight of the conference room with a horrid jolt. It was as if someone had taken his soul from his body, ripped it out, and then put it back together again. With shaky breaths, he observed the leering, yellow pokémon before him. A pendulum whacked him in the head, and Sol heard the hypno's indignant words permeating his thoughts:

 _What are you looking at, huh?_

"Hypno, return," Faba ordered.

"How long have I been out?"

"Couple minutes," Colress responded before Faba could get in a word. "That musharna's dream mist is undeniably powerful, but hypno are renowned for their amazing ability to restore trainers in and out of consciousness. Some are particularly gifted in dream manipulation…" Colress shot a cold scowl in Faba's direction.

"I didn't have any dreams," Sol reassured him. The thought of Faba manipulating anyone's dreams, however, was a nightmare in itself.

"We're just glad you're safe," Dulse said. He seemed to be having trouble processing the previous events, and Zossie cowered at his side, a blanch look of fear overtaking her usually peppy grin. Sol looked down to see Rocky panting at his heels. Despite the cautious atmosphere, Rocky's jaws stretched in what could only be interpreted as a smile as he ignored the obvious wounds on both their legs.

"So, Sol," Lusamine started, her tone somewhat apologetic, "despite your valiant attempt to quell Type:Null, I'm afraid we cannot leave it in your care."

"What about mine?" Colress interrupted, standing.

"Though I don't doubt your own capabilities," Faba said, wincing as if saying the words had caused him tremendous pain, "what would happen if Null were to escape your care and wreak havoc on the children?"

"That would be a shame," Lusamine agreed.

"We could add extra security—"

"That is not within our budget for the year," Faba interjected. "Remember, Colress, we are a _charity._ We can't just go around spending other people's money so flippantly!"

"That's ridiculous!"

"It is what it is, dear cousin." With the slightest coy turn of her lips, Lusamine put on a mischievous smile. "But luckily for you, that wasn't the only Type:Null Faba created."

"Madame President," Faba hissed, gritting his teeth.

"What do you mean?" Colress pressed.

"Exactly what I said, dear. Surely you remember my son ran away just over two years ago? With one of Faba's projects in hand?"

"Madame!" Faba barked. Lusamine stared at him, her smile gone. "Er, what I meant to say is..."

"Well, what _I_ meant to say is I think it would be lovely to see my son again. He never calls me." Lusamine sighed, twirling a lock of platinum hair around her perfectly manicured finger.

"Luce, do you mean to say you want Gladion to be a part of the Ultra Space initiative?" Colress asked incredulously.

Lusamine clasped her hands together, a blissful smile gracing her lips once again. "Oh, Colress, you know me so well! He'll be hard to persuade, I'm sure, but Gladion's out there _somewhere._ And he can't hide much longer... I am his mother, after all..."

Colress turned around, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Then I suppose... I suppose it's the only choice we have."

Sol gaped, while Dulse and Zossie stood in confusion. Of course they wouldn't know about Gladion! President Lusamine did her very best to keep his flight under the radar, and still the media found ways of capturing blurry photos of her son traversing across Alola. When he had first been declared missing, the news exploded. Headlines cried AETHER HEIR YET TO BE FOUND and UNREST IN THE AETHER FOUNDATION—AND THE AETHER HOUSEHOLD! But two years later, when tabloids finally turned their hungry jaws to other shameless scandals, Lusamine's daughter ran away. With two of the President's children gone, the Aether Foundation needed every chance to re-establish their public image.

"Madame, pardon my interruption but I'm certain that a number of board members would deem this plan unwise," Faba said, almost pleading. "If it works, the company's reputation may be elevated with Gladion participating in the family business once again. But if it fails? Surely we cannot trust the future of the Aether Foundation in their hands!"

"I trust my cousin Colress like no one else, Faba," Lusamine replied smoothly. With a tilt of her head, she turned back to Colress. "Isn't that right?"

Colress nodded, straightening his spine. "Then we have a job to do."


End file.
